ECA - Breaking Ground Winter 2022

Winter 2022

Official Publication of the Edmonton Construction Association

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Left to right: Peter Osborne, GEC Architecture; Derek Ciezki, SMP Engineering; Leah Marchon, Lloyd Sadd; David Johnson, ECA; Matt Schellenberger, ECA; Caroline Bowen, ECA; Jen Hancock, Chandos Construction; Ryan Christensen, Delnor Construction. Back of fold: Ben Wagemakers, PCL; Dustin Bennett, CCS Contracting; Bev Christensen, ECA; Andrew Sharman, University of Alberta; Jonny Villalta, ECA; Jenn Parker, ECA; Taylor Lewis (front), ECA; Brittaney Down (back), ECA; Daniel McAllister, Hub International; Wendy Billey (front), ECA; Dave Ross (back), ECA; Gabriela Cruz, ECA; Darryl Wiebe, Kerr Interiors.

ECA Breaking Ground

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PRINTED IN CANADA 12/2022

10215 - 176 Street Edmonton, AB T5S 1M1

Phone: 780-483-1130 Email: contact@edmca.com Website: www.edmca.com

2022 ECA BOARD Board Chair Derek Ciezki Vice-Chair Jen Hancock

Treasurer-Secretary Andrew Sharman

Directors

Leah Marchon

Sean Tymkow

Bert DeBruin

Darryl Wiebe

Peter Osborne

Daniel McAllister

Dustin Bennett

Ryan Christensen Ben Wagemakers www.edmca.com

Message from Derek Ciezki, ECA Chair

This will be the first winter season in more than two years for ECA members to reconnect in person. As we gather in the spirit of community and camaraderie, we will wonder together what the future holds for the construction industry – not just in our city, but across the continent. We will share our optimism for the opportunities ahead. We will confess our concerns for our city, and the challenges we face, not just as ECA members, but as fellow citizens of Edmonton and the metro region.

Throughout this season and into the new year, let’s resolve to continue supporting each other. Let’s remind ourselves that balancing optimism against uncertainty has never been easy, but that the ECA and our industry are resilient and nimble. As we prepare for potential social, regulatory, and economic headwinds, let’s reassure each other we are stronger together.

The next several months offer a unique moment for the ECA to directly address challenges with our partners in the municipal and provincial governments, as well as their many stakeholders, with whom the ECA is aligned. With an election slated for next spring, it’s essential for our association to influence positive change for our city and the Edmonton region.

In the months ahead, we will champion our members’ role in building a growing city for the future and providing high-quality jobs that help protect local workers and their families from the affordability crisis. We will be working with stakeholders to promote innovative solutions for competitive design and construction to help attract top industry talent to our city and region. And most importantly, we will be working to find new and creative ways to mitigate risk for our members.

WHAT ARE THE CURRENT RISKS IN CONSTRUCTION?

Staffing levels and labour shortage access to skilled labour, worker retention, and employee engagement remain some of the greatest challenges to our industry. Project predictability, job quality, labour mobility, and public procurement policy create barriers to growth.

Re-establishing trusted relationships. The pandemic has eroded the collaborative culture between businesses, project owners, investors, partners, and the workforce, and it’s taken a toll on industry and workplace culture. The time needed to rebuild relationships is longer than many anticipated.

Supply chain delays are impacting project schedules, costs, and risk. Identifying this early on in the project is key for all stakeholders to understand the impacts.

Increasing inflation and interest rates create uncertainty in project funding commitments, extended tenders, and clauses pushing unacceptable risk onto the industry. The result is fewer firms bidding on projects. Conversations must continue with owners to better share and mitigate risk.

COVID has exposed the need for greater mental health support across all industries. Businesses need to support a hybrid workforce and create a more proactive office mental health culture.

Energy transition, emissions reductions, and sustainability regulations are putting tremendous pressure on design, construction, and funding models. Capital grant funding tied to environmentally efficient systems design requires project proposals to be more sophisticated than ever before and companies to consider how they will quantify their commitments to sustainable development.

DEMONSTRATING MEMBER VALUE

• The ECA is the Hub of Construction that brings together general contractors, trades, manufacturers and suppliers, architects and engineers, owners, and professional support service firms.

• Advocacy and partnerships with industry associations include the ACA, NAIOP, UDI, CAA and CEA, and owner groups, which have been a strong demonstration of collaboration with industry.

• Monthly discussions with the City of Edmonton, Alberta Infrastructure on procurement and contract reviews, discussions with the owners and speaking to Red Tape reduction and permitting is a priority as waiting is a cost to industry and consumers.

• Prompt payment, including advocacy at the provincial level with the ACA and Service Alberta with Minister Glubish, as well as trade contractors, architects, and engineers. We also work with private and public sector clients to provide feedback from industry for the impacts of the new legislation and impacts to the accounting processes.

• The ECA is the second-largest construction association in Canada (Toronto being the first), and the most progressive with our YBG, WomenBuild, PEG, and Owners Forum. We are also the only province with owner collaboration forumsharing best practices. The Owners Forum had some great sessions and discussions, including the challenges around inflation, cost escalation, and some strategies to mitigate and educate, as well as new procurement strategies for owners.

LEGAL

Amy Boyd

Nathaniel Brenneis

Elizabeth

Robert

Braden

Nehring

Vance Siakaluk

Paul Stocco

Michael Coombs

BOARD STRATEGY AND FOCUS

The board is looking to do a reset of our three-year strategic plan next year. Some of the current priorities include:

• Developing a relevant value proposition for member firms in design and in the construction industry. We have over 1,000 member firms that all have unique needs, and the board’s focus is to engage with new members and re-engage with current member firms to better understand the industry and business issues. We also provide value and support as needed to elevate common concerns.

• BuildWorks is continuing to evolve to better serve members, provide timely bidding information and posting results to continue to provide member value. We are implementing some pre-bid functions and are working with other association groups across Alberta and Canada to streamline the service. Fun fact: 75 per cent of our members are represented by subtrades who rely on this information.

• The ECA provides education and courses for membership and industry to develop modern skills, which will always be a key focus for the ECA to support its members and advance the industry. Digital Project Delivery, Project Management, Soft Skill Development, Mental Health training, Construction 101 for Gold Seal Certification, Social Procurement, and ESG training are just some of the key courses offered.

Career pathways has been established through the education committee to focus on attracting new talent to the industry by focusing on K-12 schools and post-secondary and capstone projects, including Tools for Schools. Sustainability and climate change are also a major focus, with the Road to Net Zero and then impact to 40-year-old buildings and government grant funding. Solar and EV charging are just some of the new technologies and renewable energy sources that we as an industry need to educate each other on.

• Stakeholder engagement: Advocacy efforts have been set in motion over the last several years in collaboration with the ACA, CEA, CAA, and CCA to discuss issues and opportunities around fair procurement, contract clauses, advocating on industry challenges, raising concerns with government and owner groups, and building on past lessons learned. Addressing inappropriate allocation of risk and fair

procurement practices, including best value versus low bid and standard contract language, are some of the key priorities discussed at various meetings with Alberta Infrastructure administration.

• Government relations and advocacy efforts in collaboration with the ACA and other associations will be a board focus for the next few years. The ECA is looking to take a more involved and active approach to political advocacy and understanding the influence on the political landscape by engaging a political communications specialist to develop a provincial advocacy strategy. They will also provide strategic governance advice to the board and provide tactical advocacy support to the senior leadership team through the next provincial election.

OUTLOOK FOR THE NEXT THREE MONTHS

• As a result of the member survey conducted last year, a town hall for a member updates and engagement, and a Hub of Construction Expo were noted as a way to better engage membership and provide added value to the industry.

• A town hall was held at the end of November as a way to provide better communication on what some of the priorities are for the ECA and board, including strategy and future outlook on the industry. Members were able to engage directly with the board and ECA staff to discuss some new trends and opportunities.

• A new political advocacy platform and government relations committee will be formed to provide a strategy for our board to advocate for our industry. The strategy will include the priorities we have in relation to labour, ensuring sustainable funding, fair procurement practices and project delivery methods while mitigating the risk on industry.

• The Hub of Construction Expo will be held in the spring of 2023 for member firms, as well as partner associations including the ACA, CEA, CAA, ARHCA, IPDA, UDI, NAIOP, etc. It will be unlike any conference out there. As we ride into the holiday season, I wish you all the best of luck, good mental health, and a successful new year!

Warmest Regards, Derek Ciezki, P.Eng.

Message from David Johnson, ECA President

GREETINGS TO ALL ECA MEMBERS

I began this journey as the new president (the position formerly known as executive director) of the Edmonton Construction Association in February of 2022. I have fond memories of the last 10 months in this office. As one does in a new role, I spent much of my time learning about the history of the ECA, getting to know our amazing staff and members alike, and learning about the Edmonton region’s construction industry, all while concurrently identifying opportunities to make the ECA a stronger and more valuable partner to our 1,000+ members.

I started with one simple self-imposed mandate… “Yes”. I intended to say yes to everything that this organization has to offer, and to say yes to embracing new ideas. Many times, we are afraid of failure, or disappointment that we often settle for “no” or “let’s look at that another time”. The innovation imperative at the ECA will continue to look for the yes in the many opportunities that come across our path. The ECA has a strong history of innovation and member service, which is precisely why we are Western Canada’s largest non-profit construction association.

I am continuously astounded by the level of membership engagement within the ECA, and I will continue to embrace the ethos that we exist to provide value; not only to our members, but the entire construction industry in general. The ECA has a multitude of service offerings, including BuildWorks, networking events, educational opportunities, and advocacy, just to name a few. We are committed to continuous improvement of our services, while looking to the future in terms of creative ways that the ECA can address the industry’s needs and wants. In 2022, we made some internal changes with the hiring of our education and corporate services coordinator who focuses on professional development, while our events coordinator concentrates on member networking opportunities. This will allow dedicated talent and expertise to manage and grow two of our most important portfolios – education and events. 2022 also saw the creation of our Career Pathways Committee – designed to address future labour shortages through strategic partnerships and programs

such as Tools for Schools and member scholarships.

This has been an exciting time to be a part of the ECA. As COVID restrictions eased in the early part of 2022, we have seen a renewed energy from members. Our Builders Connect Luncheon in March had almost 600 attendees and that was just the beginning. The ECA held well over 20 events this year with seven sold-out golf tournaments, two Meet the GC’s, site tours, barbeques, town halls, and dozens of professional development courses – including the in-person Canadian Leadership Institute and the Emerging Leaders Institute for the first time in almost three years. We have seen our sub-groups: Young Builders Group (YBG), Professional Estimators Group (PEG), WomenBuild, and our Owners Forum host numerous in-person meetings, panels, and networking events. Stay tuned for even more in 2023.

With Alberta’s Prompt Payment and Construction Lien Act, the ECA, in collaboration with the Alberta Construction Association (ACA), was pleased to be able to offer free information sessions with a law firm while providing additional resources back to the membership. The ECA will further continue to focus on being the construction industry advocate for the Edmonton region, while working collaboratively with the ACA and other local construction associations to further recommend improvements to the province.

We also are happy that we have been able to offer numerous functional improvements to BuildWorks (with more to come), and we are excited at the prospect of bringing on new potential service offerings for our membership in 2023.

I’m truly thankful to be a part of the construction community through an association comprised of an amazing board and committee members, and incredible staff who works so hard every day to help enable the success of our members. I wish you all a successful year in business and I would like to thank you for choosing the Edmonton Construction Association as your partner.

Sincerely, David Johnson President, Edmonton Construction Association

YOUR ECA TEAM

MATT SCHELLENBERGER Director of Corporate Development

DAVID JOHNSON President

CAROLINE BOWEN Director of Membership & Networking Engagement

WENDY BILLEY Executive Assistant

BRITTANEY DOWN Education & Corporate Services Coordinator

JENNIFER PARKER Finance Coordinator

DAVID ROSS Printing & Support Services

DEBBIE BARKER Procurement Manager

JONATHAN VILLALTA Communications & Marketing Coordinator

GABRIELA CRUZ Administration & BuildWorks Support Coordinator

TAYLOR LEWIS Events & Engagement Coordinator

MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS OFFER A VARIETY OF OPPORTUNITIES

When it comes to networking, the Edmonton Construction Association is highly focused on bringing members together

By Lisa Kopochinski

Since its formation in 1931, the Edmonton Construction Association (ECA) has remained the largest non-profit construction association in Western Canada, serving the commercial, institutional, and industrial construction industry.

Comprised of Edmonton and area trade contractors, manufacturers, general contractors, suppliers, owners, architects, engineers, and associate members, the ECA has continued its strong focus on four pillars: Procurement, Collaboration, Networking, and Education. So, it comes as little surprise that membership continues to grow.

“Our 2022 membership is currently at 1,002, but we are anticipating the year to end to be approximately 1,020,” says Caroline Bowen, ECA director of membership. “Our membership is divided amongst general contractors, trades, manufacturers and suppliers, architects, engineers, and association partners.”

MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS

ECA benefits are the same for all members with the exception of BuildWorks, which is only available for full ECA members.

BuildWorks is the premier procurement and business development platform for the construction industry across Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.

The ECA maintained as many events as they could during the pandemic.

The PEG brings people together to engage with like-minded professionals, share tips and tricks, and get out of the office and have some fun. Seen here is a PEG event from April 2022 at Fort Edmonton Park’s Eggie’s Barn.

“Made to serve as a sensible tool that creates clarity and efficiency in the construction procurement process, we strive to improve access to opportunities both within and across provincial borders,” says Taylor Lewis, events and engagement coordinator for the ECA. “Our cross-provincial platform increases project visibility, resulting in easier access to upcoming opportunities, as well as more competitive prices from trusted and reliable contractors, consultants, and suppliers.”

Serving owners, general contractors, subtrades, suppliers, and service providers, BuildWorks provides the ultimate control and flexibility to suit members’ needs throughout procurement and a project’s lifetime.

“Keep information private through our Invitation to Bid service, share project documentation, or advertise your opportunity to our entire network to maximize exposure and value,” adds Lewis. “Whether it’s an EOI, RFQ, RFP, request for subtrades, upcoming project announcement, or anything in between, BuildWorks Canada and our locally connected staff have you covered.”

A RETURN TO NORMAL

When asked how the ECA weathered the pandemic and a return to normalcy, Bowen mentions their strong and committed membership base. She says they did their best to stay in touch with their members via email and phone calls to let them know that we were not going anywhere. They also maintained as many events as they could.

For example, the ECA still held its golf tournaments even though they were smaller than past years. The association also held several virtual events, including Meet the GC, where general contractors did virtual presentations to the membership followed by breakout rooms for space to network.

“Our education courses all moved to online and were well-attended, and our BuildWorks department kept our members apprised of the state of all projects,” says Bowen. “That being said, we did lose a few members who needed to take some time to recover. We are happy to report that many of them have since returned.”

Bowen does stress, though, that ECA’s goal is to not always increase membership.

“We are a very strong and healthy

organization with more than 1,000 member firms representing over 65 per cent of the industry in Edmonton. We’re also the largest in Western Canada,” says Bowen. “Our goal is to grow organically by engaging our members and making membership worth it. We strive to connect with all members on any level possible. Whether it’s through our networking events, education courses, or attending one of our flagship leadership retreats.”

The ECA is now heading back to member visits to ensure that each member firm understands the benefits of their membership.

“We have a very strong Young Builders Group (YBG), and a healthy WomenBuild group that grows each month,” she adds. “Our Professional Estimators Group (PEG) has grown immensely over the last year as well. These are all signs that we have a thriving membership that is engaged in the industry.”

NETWORKING AND MEMBER ENGAGEMENT

When it comes to networking, the ECA is highly focused on bringing members together. One of the ways it does this is by hosting approximately 40 networking events per year. These include traditional events such as the Builders Connect Luncheon (BCL) and Annual General Meeting, as well as Owners Forum’s, golf tournaments, summer parking lot barbeques, and the members-only meet & greets.

Coming up in 2023, the ECA will be launching the Hub of Construction Expo, which will be the first of its kind for any Western Canadian Construction Association. Bowen says that in a typical year, more than 5,000 members attend association events and gain from increased interactions and business leads.

SUBGROUPS ARE GROWING

The ECA strives to provide value to as many employees as possible in each of its member firms. Lewis says the best way for members to get involved

ECA benefits are the same for all members with the exception of BuildWorks, which is only available for full ECA members.

YBG golf Tournament from July. The ECA holds many events through the year, including golf tournaments for its various subgroups.

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is to join one of the subgroups and participate in the events.

“For example, we have WomenBuild, where women join to inspire, motivate, and connect with each other,” says Bowen. “We also have our YBG where people in the first half of their career come to experience peer-to-peer relationships and connections. Our Professional Estimators Group (PEG) is for like-minded individuals who are looking to improve in their field of estimating and learn about best practices in the industry. These are just a few ways of getting involved.”

WOMENBUILD

WomenBuild, for example, has gained great momentum, having grown from 139 members to more than 300 since its launch in 2020.

WomenBuild’s main benefit is to inspire, support, encourage, and connect women in the industry. In Alberta,

women make up approximately 45 per cent of the overall workforce. However, within the Alberta construction industry, women make up 14 per cent of the workforce, and just five per cent in the skilled trades.

“Not only are women underrepresented in our industry, but they are also underrepresented in leadership positions. The pipeline of women being trained in construction-related disciplines like engineering and trades remains small,” says Bowen.

As a place of inspiration, support, and mentorship to women, she adds that the focus for 2023 is to continue the momentum and build on what was achieved in 2022. Typically, WomenBuild has three events in the year. Two of the events are their Speaker Series, as well as a golf tournament in the summer. In the past three years, the golf tournament was a ‘nine and dine’. This year they are aiming for a full tourmanent with 120 ladies.

YBG

The YBG—formed six years ago—was the ECA’s first subgroup. With 1,200 members, it continues to be the largest.

“Moving into 2023, the YBG leadership team will continue to seek innovative and engaging programming to bring out first time and veteran YBGs,” says Schellenberger. “We also hope to return to some of our previous programs, which sought to engage companies directly to send their emerging leaders to events.”

The YBG Industry Collaboration Committee continues to work under the banner of YP Merge to support initiatives that go across the owner-designerconsultant-builder project chain.

“We hope to continue to renew collaborative efforts that existed before the pandemic to bring YP organizations from across Edmonton together,” adds Schellenberger. “This includes UDI, NAIOP, BOMA, CEA, CAA, and others. This will include the continuation of our

SHIFT Conference in the fall of 2023. We’re also discussing collaborative events in early 2023, as well as a charity slow pitch tournament in summer 2023.”

When it comes to learning and mentorship opportunities, he adds that the ECA hopes to continue to provide avenues for YBGs to engage with the wider industry. This could include options at the Hub of Construction Expo, as well as the return of former popular events like Ed Talks.

From a corporate development perspective, YBG will continue to provide a strong benefit to those member firms that are focused on sending their emerging leaders to the events.

“More than ever, younger industry people are seeking ways to interact with their industry peers across silos,” says Schellenberger. “Great companies empower their employees to seek these connections to the betterment of the team members’ career, but also to the benefit of the company, which gains a more networked and proficient employee. We strongly encourage companies to send their key employees to YBG events.”

PROFESSIONAL ESTIMATING GROUP (PEG)

For 2023, the Professional Estimating Group (PEG) will continue to provide great value through events. These will include staple events like the annual golf tournament, but also new events such as the PEG Funspiel, scheduled for February 23 at the Shamrock Curling Club.

Schellenberger adds that further to those events, the leadership team is always discussing unique gatherings or engagement opportunities that involves connection, as well as some learn or mentorship training.

The PEG was created initially to bring together and support the estimators, spec writers, quantity surveyors, and project managers who work hard to keep the project pipeline full. These are the groups who often spend more

time in the office and may not be as readily able to attend usual networking or professional development events. As such, the benefit is to engage with like-minded professionals, share tips and tricks, and get out of the office and have some fun.

And, not unlike the YBG and WomenBuild, the PEG is always looking at ways to encourage increased participation in PEG events and initiatives.

“With that said, it falls on our member firms to get their key PEG-type people

OWNERS FORUM

The Owners Forum will also continue to bring together owner, consultant, contractor, and related leaders from across the Edmonton region, and as far south as Calgary.

Schellenberger says that as protocols allowed groups to return to in-person in the spring, they’ve again been able to meet in person and work towards solutions to key industry problems. Moving forward into 2023, the group is working on two major priorities. These include project delivery and industry collaboration, which encompasses risk, supply chain, contract language and labour; and innovation, industry education and sustainability, which encompasses capital and operating costs and environment sustainability.

COURSE OFFERINGS

Member education is also vital to the ECA, which supports continuous improvement with more than 50 courses per year in critical areas, including project management, risk, profitability, leadership, and construction contracts. Members enjoy reduced rates for all education registrations.

“The ECA has several instructors that specialize in different types of teaching,” explains Lewis. “For instance, we have a variety of courses designed to educate and support our members through the challenges and obstacles that may arise in our industry.”

Topics such as Business Acumen; Career Development; Construction Fundamentals; Technologies, Contracts and Legal Documents; and Project and Construction Management are all popular topics as the ECA appeals to different types of members.

“The courses that tend to be the most sought-after would be both the introductory courses, such as Construction 101, for our member employees that benefit from a basic understanding of the construction industry, as well as the courses that have mandatory credentials attached to them for further accreditation,” concludes Lewis. u

2023 HUB OF CONSTRUCTION EXPO SET FOR MAY

The two-day event will feature keynote speakers, professional development, and much more

By Lisa Kopochinski

ECA’s Hub of Construction has long advanced Edmonton’s construction industry by bringing contractors, trades, designers, engineers, suppliers, owners, and service providers together in one place to build relationships and solutions that lead to exceptional construction.

Forums, breakfasts, meet and greets, and meetings with public and private owners, as well as partner industry associations are just some of the ways the hub works for all those involved.

This spring, the ECA and partners will be hosting its first-ever multi-day Hub of Construction Expo at the Edmonton EXPO Centre. Right now in the initial planning stages, the expo will take place from May 10 to 11, 2023 and will be the first of its kind in Western Canada hosted by a construction association, says Caroline Bowen, ECA director of membership and networking engagement.

“It will be an event with incredible speakers, learning sessions, and a trade show that will showcase over 100 members,” says Bowen. “We also have several new initiatives in each of the subgroups surrounding mentorship programs, educational courses, and improvements to BuildWorks to help our members continue to get work and more.”

The convention will feature keynote speakers, professional development sessions along multiple learning streams, and a full trade show where members can showcase their businesses.

This spring, the ECA and partners will be hosting its first-ever multi-day Hub of ConstructionConvention at the Edmonton EXPO Centre.

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KEYNOTE SPEAKERS AND TRADE SHOW

The expo will feature keynote speakers, professional development sessions along multiple learning streams, and a full trade show where members can showcase their businesses.

“We hope to have several hundred delegates from across the AEC (architect, engineer, contractor) landscape in the Edmonton region,” says Matt

Schellenberger, ECA director of corporate development. “All events, classes, and speakers are still in the planning stage, but we are looking to provide a wide range of content, including engagement from our peer association in the design and engineering spaces, as well as showcasing some of our sub-groups, including our Young Builders Group, Professional Estimating Group, and WomenBuild.”

The ECA is hoping to attract exhibitors from a wide range of sources, including technology, manufacturing, and supply, as well as its contractor and association partners.

“Our hope is to have a strong and diverse set of exhibitors, geared toward the commercial construction member,” adds Schellenberger. “We expect opportunities for these to open up by the end of this year.” u

Alberta One-Call is now Utility Safety Partners

In January 2021, Alberta One-Call Corporation unified services with the Alberta Common Ground Alliance and the successful Where’s the Line? campaign promoting overhead powerline awareness. After 38 years as Alberta One-Call, it was time to evolve our brand to reflect the unified services of this new safety partnership.

Now, with the efforts of three organizations together as one, even more lives can be saved.

We are Alberta’s trusted resource for utility safety. The one hub everyone can always rely on. Awareness, education, and locates combined to prevent contact with overhead and underground lines — keeping people and infrastructure safe. When we succeed, we save Alberta companies and taxpayers millions of dollars, while preventing costly service outages that disrupt people’s lives. It’s another powerful outcome of our lifesaving work.

ECA CAREER PATHWAYS

By Lisa Kopochinski

from students in construction and related careers, the Edmonton Construction Association (ECA) is proud of its Career Pathways program that collaborates with schools, teachers, and other groups from elementary school, through junior high to high school.

“Career Pathways is a group of likeminded individuals who are passionate

about connecting and educating today’s youth about exploring career opportunities in the construction industry,” explains Brittaney Down, ECA education and corporate services coordinator. “It is my personal belief that this committee benefits everyone. Especially everyone in our industry.”

Daniel McAllister, commercial account executive at HUB International, agrees

The ECA’s Tools for Schools program sees the association working with approximately 20 schools in the Edmonton area.

and says Career Pathways is focused on drawing interest into the many various paths and journeys that can facilitate a career in the construction industry.

“This began as the ECA noticed the incredible variance in our industry and is amply demonstrated by the ECA’s Hub of Construction model, which shows how many stakeholders are brought together in our industry. This includes the intersection between groups such as general contractors, subtrades, architects, engineers, suppliers, owners, developers, and many more,” says McAllister. “Career Pathways is our initiative to show upand-coming members of Alberta’s workforce all that the construction

To encourage greater engagement

Attracting new talent to the construction industry remains a large concern

industry has to offer them, and that it is a fantastic fit with such a large variety of skills, backgrounds, and proficiencies.”

HUGE BUDGET INCREASE

Down says the ECA has had a more than 700 per cent increase in the budget for the 2023 year, which is good news for programs.

“This will include our Tools for Schools program expansion which has us engaging with approximately 20 schools from the Edmonton area,” says Down. “This budget increase will also see us embarking on new sponsorship opportunities with both Junior Achievement and Skills Canada. We’ve also expanded our scholarship program in hopes to reach even more students.”

ECA Director of Corporate Development Matt Schellenberger adds that efforts include major funding and engagement from the ECA board of directors, key local partners such as Junior Achievement and Skills Alberta and Canada, as well as direct investment

in school programs through the ECA Tools for Schools program.

Board member Sean Tymkow, manager at Lafarge Canada, says the board heard loud and clear from ECA members that attracting new talent to the construction industry is a major concern.

“Career Pathways is one of the levers the ECA is using to help engage youth and encourage them to view the construction industry as a viable career for their future. Whether it be through our bursary programs that help postsecondary students with their schooling costs, or with initiatives like Tools for Schools, or our other partnerships, we are trying to be in contact with youth of all ages,” says Tymkow. “The end goal is to increase the interest of constructionrelated careers which, in my mind, will no doubt help everyone in our industry.”

TOOL FOR SCHOOLS

The Tools for Schools program— which has been going on for a number

Tools for Schools was established as a means of ensuring students who are enrolled in industrial arts-related courses have access to tools, safety equipment, consumables, and other related construction materials.

of years— was established as a means of ensuring students who are enrolled in industrial arts-related courses have access to tools, safety equipment, consumables, and other related construction materials.

Down says maintaining youth involvement in shop, industrial arts, and woodworking programs in schools is very important.

“From building interests and passions in the construction industry to teaching our youth basic skills that can be used in their everyday lives. Personally, I have such fond memories from my own time in an industrial arts program in junior high,” says Down. “It helped foster a close bond with my father and has given me the confidence to tackle my own home projects.”

McAllister says Tools for Schools is one of HUB International’s newer ECA initiatives, with its first involvement being in early 2022. He says that they started simple and small, partnering with Home Depot to deliver new shop tools to four deserving schools in the Edmonton community.

He adds that seeing its direct impact and the response of the schools, students, and sponsors told them that they were on to something: a simple idea with massive impact that they could easily expand upon.

“This year, we aim to increase the amount of schools drastically, and we’re excited to work with more sponsor partners in the industry who want to be involved with this great program, on a bigger scale,” says McAllister.

Tymkow says Career Pathways jumpstarted this program in conjunction with sponsors as a means of ensuring

“Career pathways is a group of like-minded individuals who are passionate about connecting and educating today’s youth about exploring career opportunities in the construction industry.”

—Brittaney Down, ECA education and corporate services coordinator.

kids have the opportunity to get a tool in their hands.

“The idea is as simple as this: Put a tool in their hand, and hopefully they will fall in love with working with their hands and build something and look to the construction industry as a means for being able to get paid for what they love to do,” says Tymkow.

He says the level of appreciation they have seen when delivering tools to kids is extremely rewarding.

“I have no doubt that many of the students we touch with this program will become members of the construction industry and the ECA in the future. We are targeting to deliver materials to roughly a dozen schools this year,” says Tymkow. “I would encourage any member firms to contact the ECA if they would like to be involved in this initiative so we can further grow the reach of the program.”

Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, the program slowed down. However, the ECA

“HUB International’s collaboration with Junior Achievement and Skills Alberta are two newer partnerships it is very excited to have on its radar.”

— Daniel McAllister, HUB International.

has brought the program back strongly, supporting three schools and four programs.

“Going into next year, we’re looking at significantly expanding the program, with up to 20 schools being engaged,” says Schellenberger. “The program is heavily supported by Home Depot as well.”

JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT AND SKILLS ALBERTA

The ECA is also working on broadening its engagement and investing in both Junior Achievement and Skills Alberta.

Tymkow says that through many discussions with the Career Pathways team, great ideas came up on how to present wonderful opportunities that the construction industry can provide as a future career.

“In our research and through previous knowledge, we knew of some great organizations who have already been working with youth,” Tymkow says. “We felt it appropriate to reach out to these organizations so as to not duplicate efforts, but to also ensure we did not need to reinvent the wheel.”

Through numerous discussions, the team found ways for the ECA to partner with these organizations to leverage the offerings of each group, while still maintaining a construction-related focus to ensure that the objective of engaging youth and presenting constructionrelated careers to them is being met.

McAllister says HUB International’s collaboration with Junior Achievement and Skills Alberta are two newer partnerships it is very excited to have on its radar.

“Junior Achievement’s outreach and participation in fostering development in the next generation of our industry lines up directly with ECA objectives, both long and short-term,” says McAllister. “As part of that, we’re excited to be partnering with Junior Achievement on several of their World of Choices events, which brings students together with industry mentors working in various fields and disciplines. This includes interactive, mentorship sessions directly with members of the industry. “

He adds that Skills Alberta offers fantastic hands-on interactive experiences for youth in Alberta, and that inspired HUB International to partner with them on several initiatives in 2023, which includes outreach to several hundred students in Alberta.

“We are still determining the best possible fit in terms of events and collaboration with Skills Alberta,” says McAllister. “We will have exciting announcements on this front in the near future.”

MAJOR SPENDING EXPANSION

With the board approval of a major spending expansion of this program, Tymkow says things are definitely moving forward going into next year.

“Each of these initiatives have targeted approaches to engage and interact with students of all ages to encourage interest in the construction industry,” says Tymkow. “The initiatives have their own respective timelines, but I am confident in saying we will see most of the initiatives we are planning come to fruition within the next six to 12 months.” u

Career Pathways jumpstarted the Tools for Schools program in conjunction with sponsors as a means of ensuring kids have the opportunity to get a tool in their hands.

BUILDWORKS LAUNCHES NEW SERVICES FOR USERS

By Lisa Kopochinski

Developed and offered in partnership by 12 local Western Canadian construction associations, BuildWorks connects members with a national network of regional experts, qualified providers, and opportunities for work.

ECA’s BuildWorks — the procurement and business development platform for the construction industry in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, which helps members find opportunities— is about to get better!

ECA director of corporate development, Matt Schellenberger, says BuildWorks has relaunched two new services for users: the BuildWorks Directory, and the myPlansroom, an invitation to bid product. They will also be introducing the brand-new BuildWorks Certificate service, accessible on the BuildWorks platform.

• The BuildWorks Directory allows users to be seen by other companies, get invited to projects, and win more work. As a member, your premium directory listing will be featured and highlighted.

• BuildWorks is continuing to evolve to better serve members, provide timely bidding information, and posting results to continue to provide member value. Implementing pre-bid functions and working with other association group across Alberta and Canada to streamline the services is also important.

• The Invitation to Bid (now called

myPlansroom), with its easy-to-use features, allows prime contractors to invite interested bidders to their projects, whether visible on BuildWorks generally or not. myPlansroom is a key tool for trade contractors and suppliers particularly to expand their invitation and network by using this directory of thousands of Alberta companies. It can be used in all phases of the construction process, during tendering and construction, or internally within your office, and keeps all project communications and documents in one easily accessible secure space.

• The brand-new BuildWorks Certificate Service is for general contractors and subcontractors to generate certificates of substantial performance, along with a front-end search engine for users to search certificates. The Alberta Government has added the option of posting a Certificate of Substantial Completion online. Certificates can still be physically posted on construction sites or online with BuildWorks Canada.

CROSS-PROVINCIAL PLATFORM

Developed and offered in partnership by 12 local Western Canadian construction associations in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, BuildWorks connects members with a national network of regional experts, qualified providers, and opportunities for work.

Serving owners, general contractors, subtrades, suppliers, and service providers, BuildWorks provides control and flexibility throughout procurement and a project’s lifetime.

“You can share project documentation or advertise your opportunity to our entire network—and maximize the exposure and value of your project,” says Schellenberger. “Our crossprovincial platform increases project visibility, resulting in easier access to upcoming opportunities, as well as more competitive prices from trusted and reliable contractors, consultants, and suppliers.” u

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START SAVING ON TIRES & SERVICES TODAY!

The ECA MICHELIN® Advantage Program allows you to team up with Michelin to increase your productivity. Members can benefit from a value added program that offers competitive savings on both new and retread tires. The new tires include, MICHELIN®, BFGoodrich ®, and Uniroyal®. The retread tires include: MICHELIN ® Retread Technologies and Oliver®.

The program also includes access to our Emergency Road Service (ERS) offer MICHELIN ® ONCall and waived dispatch fees. This shows ECA’s support for their membership by providing you with additional resources to improve their operational efficiency.

THE PROGRAM OFFERS 3 MAIN BENEFITS:

ADVANTAGE SAVINGS

The ECA MICHELIN® Advantage Program pricing is available at home and on the road, so you can control your tire costs if you are a localized or long haul based operation. Because Michelin knows that you may have more needs other than just medium duty truck tires, our Full Line Program will also help in your cost control of other MICHELIN® product lines, such as Passenger Car and Light Truck, Earthmover, Compact Line or Tweel Tires.

ADVANTAGE CARE

Knowledgeable TIA trained technicians will take care of your service needs at any of our over 5,000 authorized truck dealer locations.

With MICHELIN® ONCall drivers can get roadside assistance all day, every day, no matter where they are. This gets your trucks back up and running, whether it is tires, mechanical, or towing, to ensure that you maximize your productivity.

Access to our MICHELIN® Advantage Customer Service team is available on business days to answer any questions you may have about the Advantage Program including system access, billing, invoicing or orders.

ADVANTAGE ACCESS

As a member of the ECA MICHELIN® Advantage Program, you will receive access to the member website where several online business tools are located to help improve your business performance.

You will have the ability to manage your account online, to register and update your credit card(s) on file, check pricing, view invoices or purchase history. You can tap into maintenance tips and techniques with our webcasts, e-newsletters and our member website at MichelinB2B.com to help maintain an efficient operation.

CCA SECURING A STRONG FUTURE FOR THE INDUSTRY THROUGH COLLECTIVE ADVOCACY

By Mary Van Buren, CCA President

Representing 20,000+ member firms, the Canadian Construction Association (CCA) is proud of our mission to inspire a progressive, innovative, and sustainable construction industry.

The key to our success is working with valued partner associations like the Edmonton Construction Association. We are powered by your engagement. Together, we are driving change on key issues that make a real impact, not only for the industry, but for all Canadians.

A SMART PLAN BACKED BY INVESTMENT

As the industry’s national advocate, the CCA has been working to help shape a long-term plan for sustainable infrastructure investment. Through our participation in the National Infrastructure Assessment, meetings with government leaders, and reinforced by the Hill Day advocacy initiative, which took place on November 15, the CCA understands that one size does not fit all. Every region and municipality, including our Indigenous communities, have different needs and priorities.

We need to move from quick fixes to a strategy that focuses on long-term solutions and value for Canadians in the regions they live. It is why we engage with our local construction association partners and members to learn firsthand what is important to you and your community.

Our industry can be the path to green and the road to economic prosperity,

but we need supportive policies and a national plan backed by a long-term investment strategy. Working with our partners at the Western Canada Roadbuilders & Heavy Construction Association, we released a report, From shovel ready to shovel worthy, to strengthen our case for a national trade infrastructure plan. It identifies key trade gateways and corridors across the country, including Western Canada, that will link resources to industry, people to jobs, and products to market.

The CCA is also consulting with Natural Resources Canada on the federal government’s Green Building Strategy. Detailed recommendations were sent focusing on developing a buy clean policy, mandating change, enabling investment decisions, growing Canada’s advantage in building practices, technology and building materials, and training and incentivizing the future workforce.

ACTION-BACKED POLICIES TO SUPPORT DECARBONIZATION AND INNOVATION

Federal procurement strategies are on the agenda thanks to the united advocacy of the CCA and our integrated partner associations. We all know that construction has a major role to play in achieving Canada’s net zero targets, and the federal government must act now to support businesses in their decarbonization efforts over the coming decade.

The CCA’s annual Meech Lake meeting with government leaders resulted in a commitment to establish a working group on procurement and project delivery methods. We also embarked on a fact-finding mission this summer to learn first-hand from members about their challenges with current procurement practices. Dubbed the Standard Practices Tour, the CCA visited Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, St. John’s, and Montreal in June.

We intend to educate owners on the challenges identified by our members, as outlined in the report. Procurement needs to adapt to encourage innovation, account for long-term value and sustainability, promote the use of alternative delivery models, and support shared risk. Too often contractors take on the risk of project costs and delays due to the shortage of workers, materials, and supply chain disruptions.

CANADA NEEDS A STEADY PIPELINE OF TALENT

Even the best laid plans can be derailed without the workers we need to keep us on track. There are over 81,000 open jobs in construction that the industry is struggling to fill nationwide because of baby boomer retirements, pandemic aftershocks, and, quite simply, a public misconception about careers in construction.

The CCA has been working on several initiatives to build a pipeline of skilled, unskilled, and professional talent. Our

Talent Fits Here initiative is a national public awareness campaign designed to attract workers by positioning construction as a career of choice. We are also advocating for changes to the Canadian immigration system to facilitate

the entry of skilled immigrants and temporary foreign workers interested in working in the construction sector. Our letter to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship of Canada specifically referenced the shortage of

specialty trades in the Atlantic provinces, sounding the alarm that retirements and recruitment challenges will be a heavy blow to Canada’ future economic growth if steps aren’t taken now.

We are thrilled to be partnering with the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum on a federal government initiative offering financial incentives to employers who hire new first-year apprentices in 39 Red Seal trades. This program will provide support to employers wanting to hire apprentices and promote the skilled trades as a first-choice career for youth, women, Indigenous peoples, LGBTQ+, immigrants, and foreign workers.

CCA ENHANCING MEMBER SERVICES

Build os us on us

A pilot project is underway to digitize Canadian Construction Documents Committee (CCDC) delivery services, paving the way for the order and distribution of trusted, smart electronic industry standard documents through a secure and simple-to-use digital platform. The CCDC continues to also provide members with helpful author-led training on how to effectively use guides and documents.

The Gold Seal program has also gone digital with new electronic badges and a refreshed logo and seal. Gold Seal Certified (GSC) and Professional, Gold Seal Certified (P.GSC) professionals can now maintain a detailed and secure electronic record of their achievements and professional records through digital badges.

STAY IN TOUCH!

You can count on the CCA to be a collaborative partner to the Edmonton Construction Association, providing helpful tools, sharing best practices across the country, and being your voice with the federal government. We hope you can join us March 7-10, 2023 in Tucson, Arizona for the CCA’s Annual Conference. Registration for this marquee event is now open.

Stay in the loop by subscribing to CCA’s newsletter at bit.ly/ccasubscribe, by following @ConstructionCAN on Twitter, or by looking up Canadian Construction Association on LinkedIn. u

ACA ADVOCACY UPDATE

ACA advocacy with new premier and cabinet

By Ken Gibson, Executive Director, Alberta Construction Association

Alberta Construction Association

(ACA) Virtual Townhalls with UCP leadership candidates provided a forum for industry to share concerns and priorities with leadership candidates. The following issues were raised with candidates:

• Lack of transparency and variability regarding future projects, funding, timing, delivery, project budget, impacting industry’s ability to plan. It takes years of steady work to produce skilled design consultants, tradespeople, and project managers. Swings in infrastructure spending inevitably lead to periods in which industry capacity can’t meet demand without price increases at the expense of taxpayers.

• Relations that are contractual and transactional rather than collaborative.

• Inappropriate allocation of risk.

• The revision of GoA agreements removing all forms of alternative dispute resolution, leaving the courts as the only option.

• Contractor selection primarily based on low price treating construction as a commodity, rather than selection on best value and innovation treating construction as a specialized service.

The ACA congratulates Premier Danielle Smith on her victory and thanks her for active participation in the town hall and personally responding to the ACA’s candidate survey. We look forward to working with Premier Smith and her government to tackle these issues.

ACA PANEL DISCUSSES COST ESCALATION AT MUNICIPALITIES ALBERTA (MA) CONFERENCE

The ACA hosted a panel discussion in MA’s September conference to

discuss successful owner/contractor collaborations to manage cost escalation. Thanks to Sue Howard (City of Westakiwin), Don Stang (City of Lloydminster), Trevor Doucette and Sam Johnson from Graham, Kevin Koster from Bird, and Eric Kristjansson from PCL for their expert participation. The panel discussed the new normal of volatile prices and the move away from traditional design-bid-build project delivery to better manage risk.

APPRENTICESHIP, SKILLS, AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

The ACA continues to advocate for a stronger industry role in vocational education and apprenticeship, offering to assist the new Skilled Trades Apprenticeship Board with industry engagement.

ACA Executive Director Ken Gibson was appointed to the Premier’s Council on Skills. The council is to provide advice on issues and emerging trends with respect to the skills needed in Alberta’s workforce, particularly as they relate to educational programming in Alberta’s adult learning system.

ACA FORMS A AND B REVISED FOR PROMPT PAY

Prompt pay came into effect for contracts signed after August 29, 2022. Together with local construction associations, the ACA coordinated educational webinars for members. Contact your local construction association for Volumes 1 to 4 of the Frequently Asked Questions for Prompt Pay. Updated Form A and B contracts

are now available. ACA Plain Language Guide(s) are in the works.

The industry consortium of ACA, Alberta Trade Contractors Coalition, Municipalities Alberta Association, and Consulting Engineers of Alberta will not submit at this time a proposal to government to act as a nominating authority to accredit prompt pay adjudicators and manage the adjudication process. The ACA is concerned that the proposed administrative responsibilities contemplated in the regulations run counter to the goal of affordable costs borne by parties to an adjudication. The ACA will advocate for choice amongst nominating authorities to best serve industry.

The ACA continues to lobby government to commit to comparable prompt pay and dispute resolution processes for projects under the Public Works Act. u

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EXPLOSIVE GROWTH PROJECTED FOR THE EDMONTON REGION’S CONSTRUCTION SECTOR

Amazon’s new 2.9 million square-foot robotics fulfillment centre created more than 1,000 jobs in the Edmonton region.

The Edmonton Metropolitan Region continues to outpace most other metropolitan areas in Canada, with trade growth at double the national average, attracting substantial investment opportunities and fueling demand for new infrastructure. The construction sector is integral to the growth and economic prosperity of the Edmonton region.

“We have a highly skilled and competitive workforce that is ready to meet these increased industry demands,” said Malcolm Bruce, Edmonton Global CEO. “Competition for international investment is fierce. When we combine the assets of the entire region, we have a strong value proposition that global investors will find compelling. The talent pool in our construction sector really sets our region apart for investors.”

Construction of Amazon’s robotics fulfillment centre.

By promoting business investment and trade into the region, Edmonton Global is radically transforming the Edmonton region’s economy – in turn, bringing in groundbreaking opportunities for our construction industry.

Edmonton Global has found tremendous success since its inception in 2018, attracting more than $2 billion in investment to the region and creating approximately 4,000 jobs – and that’s despite the pandemic and global investments being down 40 per cent during 2020 and 2021. A lot of these investments are capital expenditures, a boon for the Edmonton region’s construction industry.

Talent, innovation, and opportunity are the key advantages that the Edmonton region can offer investors. Edmonton Global has taken those regional assets

and translated them into a narrative that aligns with the region’s airport code, YEG.

“We talk about the Edmonton region as being Young, Educated, Growing and globally connected,” said Chris McLeod, Edmonton Global’s VP of global marketing and communications. “There is a lot happening here that is already attracting the world’s attention, but we still have a way to go in sharing our story with the world.”

A FRAMEWORK FOR THE CLEAN ENERGY TRANSITION

Hydrogen is one emerging area the Edmonton region is attracting investment. Globally, hydrogen has become an attractive alternative energy source as the world moves toward decarbonization.

Just last year, Air Products announced a $1.6 billion investment to build the

world’s largest net-zero hydrogen network in the Edmonton region. With plans to break ground in 2022, this project will create more than 2,500 construction jobs in the region. Alberta’s Industrial Heartland is projecting another $30 billion in investment into hydrogen production and heavy industry in the region by 2030. Over the next few years, the Edmonton region will see its construction sector booming. In fact, at September’s Industrial Heartland Association’s annual conference, former premier Jason Kenney dubbed what’s happening in the region as the “new industrial revolution”.

The Edmonton region has been producing hydrogen for decades and already produces almost 60 per cent of Canada’s hydrogen. Hydrogen has the ability to decarbonize some of the world’s most heavy-emitting industries.

“Countries and companies from around the world are looking at hydrogen as part of the solution to fulfill their netzero commitments. This will create a lot of opportunity for our region,” said Bruce.

DOW recently announced its plan to expand and upgrade their polyethylene facility in Fort Saskatchewan to build the world’s first net-zero ethylene and polyethylene facility.

“We’re working on investments from industries like steel, glass, and concrete production – areas that are looking at hydrogen to help them decarbonize and meet emission-reduction targets.”

This, combined with the Edmonton region’s expertise in carbon capture, is attracting significant investment. DOW recently announced its plan to expand and upgrade their polyethylene facility in Fort Saskatchewan to build the world’s first net-zero ethylene and polyethylene facility. This will be the largest net-zero facility of its kind in the world and in just this one massive $10 billion project, Dow will decarbonize 30 per cent of its global footprint. This project alone is expected to generate more than 7,000 construction jobs.

BUILDING AN INTERNATIONAL CARGO AND LOGISTICS HUB

In the coming years, an area that will hold a lot of opportunity for the construction sector is global logistics. According to Western Investor, Edmonton’s industrial vacancy rate has fallen by nearly a third over the past year – this trend is largely driven by strong demand for distribution and logistics space.

Amazon’s new 2.9 million squarefoot sorting facility is just one example of this demand. This facility, Amazon’s first robotics fulfillment centre, created more than 1,000 jobs in the region and, according to Western Investor, there’s more to come. They point to 10 projects totaling 1.4 million square feet that broke ground in the third quarter of 2022.

The federal government also recently announced a $100 billion investment into increasing cargo capacity at the Edmonton International Airport (YEG). YEG and the Edmonton region are attracting investors’ attention as an emerging international logistics and cargo hub because of our strategic northern location with circumpolar routes and our region’s designation as a Foreign Trade Zone, which includes trade-friendly customs rules.

“We’re seeing dramatic cargo growth because companies are realizing the efficiencies of actually using Edmonton as their jumping off point into the U.S. and then conversely, back into Asia or the Middle East,” Myron Keehn, YEG president and CEO, told American Shipper in a recent interview.

The 2,000-acre development at YEG will have 60 million square feet of e-commerce logistics and fulfillment centres at full build-out. Keehn says the price tag will be somewhere between $2.7 billion to $3.9 billion. Construction also recently began on a new highway interchange at the airport, a piece of

supporting infrastructure funded by the Government of Alberta to improve access to the airport.

LOOKING AHEAD

“One of the biggest challenges that we expect the Edmonton region to face in the coming years is workforce availability,” said Bruce. “The reality is that this is a global challenge – right

now, competition in talent attraction is fierce. Our region really stands out for its affordability and the high quality of life residents have here. When we combine what our region offers to people in terms of talent attraction, and the opportunities that exist in our key sectors, we have a value proposition that is globally relevant and extremely attractive to investors.” u

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PASSION, INNOVATION, FAMILY

VERSUS: ON DOWNTOWN

By Jason Syvixay

HOW ARE YOU RECOVERING THE DOWNTOWN?

We gathered business and community leaders to advocate and put pressure on our elected officials to make downtown a priority and to improve safety and security and cleanliness.

We are working to shape a new story of our downtown by supporting and highlighting our amazing small business gems, finding ways to improve the day-to-day experience downtown, and creating fun and interesting things to do and see.

We are taking risks in the downtown because we believe in it – by building residential and commercial buildings that are often more expensive to develop than in other areas of the city.

We are attracting young people and creative minds to actively contribute in the downtown –embedding artists, local fabricators and designers, and entrepreneurs to pop-up and invest in our downtown.

Alexandra Hryciw, director, strategy, Edmonton Chamber of Commerce

Puneeta McBryan, executive director, Downtown Business Association

Alex Pagnotta, CEO, Pagnotta

Amos Kajner-Nonnekes, founder, Thirdspace Design Group and Vignettes

Versus is a special Breaking Ground series that brings together the ideas and perspectives of those involved in land development – the developers, builders, tradespeople, constructors, architects, engineers, planners, dreamers, and city builders who want to see the Edmonton Metropolitan Region grow and thrive. They’re hedging big bets on the city and the communities we know and love and have a hot-take or two on what’s needed to accelerate change. A battle of the minds –where all of us, and our region, win.

This fall, a group of business and community leaders, under the Downtown Recovery Coalition banner, gathered on an empty street in downtown Edmonton to put forward a series of actions to address Edmonton’s city centre. Their shared goal? To fortify elected municipal officials and the community-at-large around three key focus areas – safety and security, cleanliness and infrastructure, and transformational projects.

“Pre-pandemic, we saw record investments in our downtown – more than $500 million in public and private investments,” said Alexandra Hryciw, a spokesperson with the Downtown Recovery Coalition, and director, strategy with the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce. “While it’s important to recognize that we’re at a different place in the race to make our downtown a thriving area for people and businesses, now is not the time to pump the breaks. We need to get back to action, and that’s going to require some creativity and persistence.”

A WRENCH IN OUR PLANS

As was the case across Canada, the pandemic threw a wrench in many municipalities’ plans for their downtowns. As the habitual traffic of office workers and tourists were confined to remote work or sequestered due to public health restrictions, we began to see city centres hollowed out, businesses shuttered, spaces vacated, and a general feeling of decline. This condition prompted many cities to develop solutions for downtown recovery. In Edmonton, city council called for a Downtown Vibrancy Strategy, following the City of Calgary’s milestone $200 million revitalization funding. While dissimilar in magnitude, both Edmonton and Calgary’s plans were clear in their intention to refocus attention to the downtown.

“The component of a great downtown plan is to remember that what gets measured gets done,” said Puneeta

McBryan, executive director of the Downtown Business Association. “Edmonton’s efforts are commendable, but we need a clear evaluation dashboard to see how we are progressing so we can adjust and pivot where necessary.”

Puneeta and Alexandra joined Amos Kajner-Nonnekes, a partner of Thirdspace Design Group and Vignettes, and Alex Pagnotta, CEO of Pagnotta, for Breaking Ground’s series, Versus, to talk about

what’s happening in downtown today and the constraints and opportunities that lies ahead of us.

TAKE A RISK. IT’S THE MOST EDMONTON THING YOU CAN DO

For Pagnotta, who builds high-rise, mixed-use and commercial projects, investments in the downtown often come with several risks.

“Downtown residential projects are expensive to build,” he said. “We need to

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Hryciw agreed with Pagnotta’s sentiment noting, “Risk taking in our downtown is really hard, but I’m appreciative of when it happens.”

McBryan cited Henok Kassaye as a developer who is no stranger to taking risks.

“He’s buying up gems in our downtown, preserving their heritage attributes, and proactively attracting businesses and doers to open up in them,” added McBryan.

FILLING IN THE GAPS

Kajner-Nonnekes helped convert several downtown parking lots and empty storefronts this past summer into places for businesses, music, and gathering – all with the premise of attracting people back to the core.

“We have many gaps in our downtown,” Kajner-Nonnekes said. “We need to fill in these vacant spaces with things for people to see and do, places that look and feel good. And that isn’t difficult for us because we have a private sector who believes in their downtown, talented specialized trades who can build incredible things, and no shortage of artists and designers who want to be part of making the downtown a cultural hub.”

DIVERSIFYING THE DOWNTOWN

While the downtown has a diversity of buildings, land uses, and economic, entertainment, and cultural activities – the panel identified how it needs a diversity of people.

“We need to increase the number of residents,” said Hryciw. “During the pandemic, we saw how vulnerable our downtown can be without the influx of office workers.”

She said the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce urged organizations and their office workers to come downtown when it was safe to do so – but that the future of downtown requires a broad mix of people.

CONVERGING SOLUTIONS

DEDICATED CARE AND ATTENTION TO DOWNTOWN

•

•

•

“People won’t move downtown if they don’t feel safe and comfortable,” said Hryciw.

McBryan added that we can shift that perception if we focus on treating our downtown like a neighbourhood and plan for the day-to-day necessities that people need next to where they live.

“A park, a grocery store, a liquor store, a coffee shop,” notes McBryan as amenities and services that could make the downtown a more complete, attractive neighbourhood.

Pagnotta agreed that livability is a key component of making the downtown an alluring place to be.

“We need to start with livability, connections between spaces, and interesting programming to get people moving from one end of the downtown to the other. It’s the little things that bring people to a place,” he said.

While the panel agreed that dedicated care and attention should be made to the core, they were also optimistic of the city centre’s future.

“We’ve got a great city,” said Pagnotta. “We’re not [Vancouver’s] Yaletown or Gastown – we’re Downtown Edmonton. We need to be proud of it, and develop it for Edmontonians.”

Jason Syvixay is Urban Development Institute – Edmonton Metro’s director of metro strategy and advocacy. He is an urban planner and PhD candidate who has led policy and programs related to infill, zoning, downtown, and equity. u

Associated Engineering’s holistic approach considers climate impacts to create sustainable solutions. Sustainability is part of our business, as well as every project we undertake. This is our commitment to reducing our carbon footprint, improving the environment, and building better communities.

• Focus on short-term actions like improved safety and cleanliness

Fill in the gaps with temporary and long-term activations, businesses, and programming

Reward the risk that public and private sectors take in our downtown

Diversity our downtown population – we need residents, office workers, tourists, and more

As part of your ECA membership benefits, a free Commissioner for Oaths service is available to ECA members that require a signature on associated forms.

If you have any further questions regarding ECA’s commissioning process, please contact us by email: contact@edmca.com.

ECA Fleet Discount Program

With the ECA fleet discount program, ECA members have access to substantial discounts and additional concessions.

“The ECA discount that I got, last time around, was better than my fleet rate. If you’re a company and you have an employee who wants to buy a new car, that ECA discount is a great perk to offer your employee.” - Andrew Hildebrand, Midwest Developments

ECA members have access to substantial savings on vehicle purchase and rentals, through our association partnerships with Ford, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Nissan.

Program terms vary by dealership.

Learn more at edmca.com or call 780.483.1130

ROOM BOOKINGS

Members can take advantage of using our ECA classrooms, boardroom and event spaces at no charge!

We have a space for you to meet with a client or two. Spaces for a 24-person workshop. Even a space for a 60-person meeting!

Rooms are available M-F, 8:00 am- 4:00 pm (subject to availability) Bookings are free to ECA members (contact us for non-member rates) Rooms can be used for meetings (planning, sales, safety, etc.) and training. Set-up, hospitality, and clean-up services are not provided

Contact brittaney.down@edmca.com or by phone 780-483-1130 for more information.

DEVELOPING FUTURE BUILDING LEADERS

The Canadian Leadership Institute has returned after a two-year break to train and develop the future leadership of this industry

By Paul Adair

For the last 25 years, the consulting firm FMI Corporation has been developing industry leaders for America’s built environment through its world-class Leadership Institute program. Now, in partnership with the Edmonton Construction Association (ECA), that training is available right here in Alberta with the Canadian Leadership Institute (CLI).

The CLI helps the building industry develop the executive leadership teams that ‘everyone wants to work with’ –teams that not only understand the

technical side of construction, but also how to cooperate with others to set direction, align resources, motivate and inspire staff, and encourage collaboration.

“The Canadian Leadership Institute is the opportunity to step back from your day-to-day,” says Emily Hemming, programs operations director at FMI.

“Being able to be engaged with likeminded individuals in the construction industry, this gives you the opportunity to focus on some of the areas where you or your company may be struggling.”

Held in Kananaskis, Alta. from October

Held in Kananaskis, Alta. from October 4 to 6, after a two-year break because of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the Canadian Leadership Institute (CLI) continues to be one of ECA’s flagship educational programs.

4 to 6, after a two-year break because of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the CLI continues to be one of ECA’s flagship educational programs – a completely one-of-a-kind, transformational leadership program that is geared towards the building community but is really applicable for anyone interested in developing the skills they need to become the leaders of tomorrow.

“This isn’t one of those conferences where you sit at the back of the room and listen to speakers all day, and maybe you’re engaged or maybe you’re not,”

We have everything you need to get the job done, whether that’s new, used, rental equipment, parts or service to keep you working, with locations across Western Canada – so wherever you are, we’re always local.

says David Johnson, ECA president. “This is a highly engaged program that requires you to actively participate throughout the entire day, and you’re totally immersed. And when you’re done, you need a break but it’s totally worth it.”

As the new president at the ECA, Johnson took the opportunity to check out the CLI for himself, wanting to ensure it was delivering value for his members. He was not left disappointed.

“I was completely taken aback by how much three days of intensive training can change you for the better,” says Johnson. “The CLI provides value on many fronts. I initially thought I was there to hone my

leadership and management skills and, while the program delivered on those outcomes, I was able to reflect on what is most important in my life personally and how that mindset drives me professionally. I think we all understand what is important to us and why, but we don’t always spend the time looking at those attributes and making plans for self-improvement.”

The CLI is an extremely immersive experience for those in attendance, and participants have to be willing to really roll up their sleeves and be ready to work. The program brings in the top experts in the field of leadership and delivers

an amazing environment tailored to learning where there are no distractions. Through the CLI, participants discover how to leverage their leadership abilities for maximum effectiveness through experiential learning, lively discussions, powerful assessments in a feedback-rich environment, an action plan, and followup.

“The CLI has mastered engagement and the coaches were top-notch, fully engaged, and passionate, something that was contagious for everyone in attendance,” says Leah Marchon, partner at Lloyd Sadd Insurance Brokers and first-time attendee. “I would 100 per cent recommend the CLI to others and I have already suggested that our firm consider others for the course in 2023.”

Through the CLI, participants gain a more complete understanding of the leadership skills and abilities they already have, as well as new opportunities to improve and become better leaders, and be able to interact on a different level with their teams.

“Of course, there were things that I knew about myself before attending the CLI, but the program has helped me clarify how my behaviours or worldviews may have hindered my abilities and/ or amplified them and offered me the tools I needed in order to tap into better outcomes,” says Marchon. “The pre-work

Through the CLI, participants discover how to leverage their leadership abilities for maximum effectiveness through experiential learning, lively discussions, powerful assessments in a feedback-rich environment, an action plan, and follow-up.

The CLI teaches people how to work together, ultimately helping to ensure that future leaders can tap into their talent and leave a positive mark on everyone they encounter.

alone was extremely useful, but the three-day, in-person course attendance was worth so much more. Understanding yourself better and having even just a little more self-awareness is so powerful, and could you just imagine if everyone you encountered in life had access to these kinds of tools, and how much better all our relationships and interactions could be?”

A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE TO BE HAD

The overall feedback from those who attended the CLI 2022 program has been very positive, with many saying they appreciated the opportunity to spend time on personal development and selfreflection, which, in turn, helped them to become better leaders in their careers.

“The program gave me so much hope and optimism that there are such strong leaders moving up the ranks in construction – future leaders who are

passionate about the mark they are making within their companies and in their own lives,” says Marchon. “The people who are taking the program are not simply fulfilling a job; they are fulfilling their careers and their own personal passions with what they do and how they do it.”

As a first-time attendee himself, Johnson echoes the sentiment that the CLI is a tremendously worthwhile program to invest in; with one small caveat.

“I would only recommend this to leaders who are actually looking to grow,” says Johnson. “People need to come in with an open mind and they have to be able to check their egos at the door. You really need to be prepared to make meaningful steps towards becoming better at leading and, if you are not open to that, you are not going to enjoy this program.”

THE BENEFIT TO INDUSTRY

Construction is a highly collaborative industry that carries a lot of risk, as well as project delivery methods, such as integrated project delivery, and alliancebased models that are becoming more prevalent in order to reduce that risk. As such, industry participants need to possess a strong understanding of how to lead – and how to be led interchangeably – to be more successful in those types of project formats.

The CLI teaches people how to work together, ultimately helping to ensure that future leaders can tap into their talent and leave a positive mark on everyone they encounter, uplifting not only themselves and their careers, but also the people around them.

“Construction has always been about working together and leadership in construction is absolutely critical to make that happen, not only within your own team, but working with other players in the industry,” says Johnson. “If we can’t all play nice in the sandbox and work together, everybody loses. That’s why it’s so important people have a good understanding of how to work together, and the CLI does a great job of reinforcing the value of collaboration.”

The ECA and FMI see the benefits of attending the CLI as a tremendous return on investment for anyone who takes part. Not only do participants receive the opportunity to focus on themselves, but the CLI also provides significant, lifechanging ways to go out and impact their organizations and the teams they lead.

“The program has a tremendous impact on those in the classroom, but will also have an effect on those around them,” says Hemming. “By incorporating the lessons of the CLI into your company culture, you are able to continue to build and provide succession management for any future leaders in your company.” u

“Construction has always been about

together and leadership in construction is absolutely critical to make that happen, not only within your own team, but working with other players in the industry.”

SHIFTING FORWARD

Post pandemic, SHIFT is back to help YPs navigate the new normal

By Paul Adair

The arrival of COVID-19 has tested the resiliency of the Canadian way of life like never before. And now that the worst of the global pandemic appears to be in the rear-view mirror, young professionals (YP) within the building sector are finding that they have to adjust to working in a very different environment, compared to what it was even just a few short years ago.

The Edmonton Construction Association’s (ECA) YP Merge SHIFT conference, which was held on October 20, aimed to help these talented YPs plot a course to navigate this ‘new normal’.

Led by the ECA and the YBG, SHIFT is an industry-leading event bringing together the various levels of the building community to meet and learn from one another, as well as – and perhaps most importantly – providing a welcoming environment where YPs can challenge the different paradigms currently impacting the building process.

“When there is space to talk about what other people are working on or working towards, even if it’s just simply sharing stories, it can help to refocus young professionals about our industry’s shared values and goals,” says Olivia Fung, who, along with Kristin Tollovsen and Megan Brooks, helped to organize and co-emcee this year’s event. “Nothing is ever easy and it’s not always a straight road, so we all need friends and allies to help us along our journeys.”

After a two-year hiatus due to the challenges of COVID-19, SHIFT returned to an in-person format and everyone in

The ECA’s SHIFT conference was held on October 20, 2022.

After a two-year hiatus due to the challenges of COVID-19, SHIFT returned to an in-person format and everyone in attendance was eager to rub shoulders once again with participants, presenters, and peers.

attendance was eager to rub shoulders once again with participants, presenters, and peers. And while there was still significant value in attending the virtual SHIFT conferences during the pandemic, the truth is that there is nothing quite like being there in the flesh.

“No matter how much we have adapted and integrated technology into

our workflow, in-person conversations increase engagement and participation from everyone,” says Fung. “And when you layer that over with a shared goal, that’s where true collaboration can start.”

Tollovsen adds that it was fantastic to see everyone being connected again in a real-life setting.

“You just get those little intangibles

that start relationships,” says Tollovsen. “And it was not necessarily just talking about the work we’re doing; it’s also being able to talk about our families and hobbies and what we’ve all been up to for the last three years. Building connection this way is why I love in-person events so much and was so happy it was that way this year.”

The feedback from the 2022 SHIFT conference from both participants and presenters has been nothing but positive.

The theme of SHIFT 2022, ‘Forward with Focus’, tackled the challenges and opportunities facing the building industry’s young professionals as they navigate the changing business landscape post pandemic.

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This year’s SHIFT builds on previous SHIFT conferences, ‘Challenging Collaboration’ (2015); ‘Transforming Teams’ (2016); ‘Merging Mindsets’ (2017); ‘Critical Choices’ (2018); ‘Inspiring Innovation’ (2019); and ‘Build Back Better’ (2020). The theme of SHIFT 2022, ‘Forward with Focus’, tackled the challenges and opportunities facing the building industry’s young professionals as they navigate the changing business landscape post pandemic.

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“As an industry, we all came through COVID-19 all seeking solutions to the same kinds of challenges, such as labour shortages, climate change, social equity, supply chain issues, and inflation,” says Fung. “And even though each of these topics is an incredibly complex issue on their own, the theme ‘Forward with Focus’ is all about taking charge and autonomy on our changing business environment, no matter what construction background you happen to come from.”

SHIFT 2022 featured entrepreneur Nicole Verkindt as its keynote speaker. Named Canada’s Woman Entrepreneur of the Year by Startup Canada in 2017, Verkindt is the CEO of the rapid grocery delivery business, Buggy.ca, and is involved in dozens of Canada’s early-stage tech businesses. In 2019, she was also named Startup Canada’s ambassador for women’s entrepreneurship and one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40.

Verkindt provided the conference with her valuable insights on supply chain management, inflation, and the growth of

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“Nicole has a very forward-thinking mentality and wanted to help us push the envelope regarding innovation within our own communities,” says Brooks. “Participants learned about the feedback loop in relation to technology solutions, and how they can take data concerning the circular economy and present it to different clientele in relation to new innovations and ways that we work.”

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Fung agrees, saying, “We ultimately share many of the same values in regard to the topics discussed, but listening to people from different perspectives really helped to break down boundaries and have a more honest conversation about the subject at hand.”

On hand for his second SHIFT conference (the last one being 2017) David Muddle was back as the event facilitator, moderator, and self-described SHIFT sherpa. Muddle is a professional management consultant with a deep understanding of strategy, business planning, and stakeholder engagement, and was honoured to once again be able to help out such a diverse and dynamic group of building professionals.

“In keeping with the themes being discussed at the conference, I zeroed in on the idea of the circular economy,” says Muddle. “I stressed the idea that there can be sustainable profits generated from regenerative economic activity, contrasting it to the linear idea of

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“As an industry, we all came through COVID-19 all seeking solutions to the same kinds of challenges, such as labour shortages, climate change, social equity, supply chain issues, and inflation,” says Fung.

economic development – make, break, dispose – to one that is quite literally, circular – make use, reuse, remake.”

From huge macro threats in the form of supply chain disruptions, international conflict, surging inflation, polarized public views, existential threats in the form of climate change and environmental issues, and a real lack of consensus on how and where to focus its collective energy, Edmonton’s building industry currently

lives in turbulent times – and it can often feel overwhelming.

The strength of the SHIFT conference is in how it can help participants generate the strategic processes that can disrupt the status quo through collaboration and improve industry processes for the future of this industry.

“An event like SHIFT brings interdisciplinary thinking and diverse audiences together to consider industry-

wide trends and impacts, and it is a great way to network and support the communities of interest in the region,” says Muddle. “If we can agree on a set of principles that marry up local action, capability, and an economic model that makes sense, then there is hope that we can pursue meaningful action while achieving profitability and purpose in our work.”

Because of this, young professionals – who are increasingly being elevated to leadership roles and more decisionmaking power within the building industry – should consider having the SHIFT conference marked down on their calendars every year.

“Whether you already have some experience or you’re new to the industry and just starting out, SHIFT provides participants a window into what’s currently trending in the building industry, as well as access to a wealth of knowledge here in attendance that will be invaluable for any career,” says Tollovsen.

The feedback from the 2022 SHIFT conference from both participants and presenters has been nothing but positive, with many saying that they especially appreciated the collaborative components of this year’s event.

Tollovsen mentions that the interactive panel format helps set SHIFT apart from other conferences. He says it gave people a greater connection at their tables and with the panelists, and many have indicated that they prefer this format.

“Instead of just sitting through a bunch of different presentations throughout the day, SHIFT gave us interactive components that allowed people at the tables – young professionals who might not have ever networked with others before – to be able to enter an instant collaboration space to share different perspectives,” says Brooks. “There’s really nothing else quite like it.” u

PROFESSIONAL ESTIMATING GROUP

The ECA Professional Estimating Group (P.E.G) supports the estimators, spec writers, quantity surveyors, and PMs who work hard to keep the project pipeline full.

Through special networking, mentoring, and professionaldevelopment events, the P.E.G cultivates the business relationships and friendships that every professional needs to excel in their work. Spread the word to the estimators, spec writers, quantity surveyors, and PMs that you work with.

Remember: the PEG is open to all employees of ECA member firms

Visit edmca.com/peg/

Women Build is a group with a mandate to connect and inspire women in industry.

For more information please contact Caroline Bowen at caroline. bowen@edmca.com

Visit edmca.com/womenbuild/ CONNECT

BUILDING INDUSTRY RELATIONSHIPS

PEG November event uses group challenge to foster collaboration and networking

By Daniela Cohen

Started in 2017, the Professional Estimating Group (PEG) brings together estimators, spec writers, quantity surveyors, and project managers for networking, professional development, and mentorship opportunities.

The goal of PEG was to provide a space for these “overlooked” professionals who were not recognized in either the Edmonton Construction Association (ECA) or Young Builders Group (YBG), said Eric Hanssen, lead estimator at O’Hanlon Paving Ltd.

An estimator for 15 years, Hanssen has been part of the PEG leadership team since January 2022 and is passionate about bringing knowledge and mentorship to people in the field.

Even though these professionals don’t typically get a lot of recognition, they are very valuable to companies as they deal with subtrades, pricing and awarding contracts, said Lance Simonin, project manager at Sparklean Restoration DKI Inc. Simonin has also been on the leadership team from the start and was

co-chair until this year.

The biggest benefit of PEG is being able to build industry relationships by connecting with people on both a personal and professional level, said Katherine Panousos Wagner, project manager at Allmar Inc. Previously part of the YBG for three years, Panousos Wagner has now been part of the PEG leadership team for four years.

“PEG makes other people in our industry become more real than just a name behind an email,” she said.

Previously part of the YBG for three years, Katherine Panousos-Wagner has now been part of the PEG leadership team for four years.

PEG brings together members of the construction industry for networking, professional development, and mentorship opportunities.

An estimator for 15 years, Eric Hanssen has been part of the PEG leadership team since January 2022.

Lance Simonin has also been on the PEG leadership team from the start and was cochair until this year.

These professionals may not see clients or be on site during construction, so the group provides a space for “people trapped in the office all the time” to meet peers, added Hanssen.

For him, the group has been a great networking tool to meet estimators in person.

“I do talk to a number of estimators around the city area on the phone or [through] emails, but a lot of them weren’t coming to the other events through the other groups in the ECA, so I didn’t really meet anyone face to face,” said Hanssen.

In Hanssen’s view, the fact that there are not a lot of estimators working in the same company makes having a forum to connect with others to discuss the industry from an estimator’s perspective very valuable.

According to Panousos Wagner, PEG also provides the opportunity to engage in different experiences, such as the spring panel held at Fort Edmonton Park. The local exhibit explores the cultures of the First Nations and Métis Peoples while encouraging visitors “to seek out the truths as lived by Indigenous Peoples”.

“It’s an amazing building and just all the information you can take in there. And then the panel that came with it after, you just get to learn so much more,” said Panousos Wagner. “I think there’s a lot of a lot that you can get from [PEG], whether it be through the people you meet or the people you hear speak.”

Simonin said the leadership team aims to make the events a warm, inviting place for estimators to come, and feedback from participants has been positive. For example, some attendees shared that the PEG golf tournament was the most fun they had had in a long time, he said.

The most recent event was held on November 9 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at MKT Fresh Food & Beer Market, sponsored by DSC Construction and Aman Builders.

The event focused on networking and having fun and included a short skilltesting challenge. To promote teamwork and collaboration, people were put in small groups with others they didn’t know.

“In construction, we all do so many different things and that particular industry I’m in is such a niche that I wouldn’t be able to answer a question about a structural beam or something

because I don’t deal with it, whereas somebody in the group might. So, you can learn from them,” said PanousosWagner. “It’s always interesting to see what other parts of the industry there really are when you’re kind of siloed into one part of it.”

The group is planning another fun event for February – an all-day curling spiel.

They hope to continue to grow from

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the current size of around 300 members to be on par with the YBG, which is at least triple that, said Hanssen.

“It would be awesome if the PEG market was picked up by other construction associations as well,” said Simonin. “So, maybe the Calgary Construction Association, etc.”

Panousos-Wagner adds that at the end of the day, they just want to get everybody together, and then down the road they would want to find ways to work together as a construction industry.

The leadership team encourages estimators, spec writers, quantity surveyors, and project managers to reach out with any ideas they would like to contribute to PEG going forward.

“We can try and identify estimating challenges and then find events that can cater to that and give people the opportunity to learn something,” said Panousos-Wagner. u

Earlier this year, PEG held a golf tournament, which was a fun outing and networking opportunities for members.

The Infrastructure Owners Forum was launched in 2017 to help those in the Owner community to better collaborate, build understanding and connect, with the purpose of improved integration across the construction continuum, and quality outcomes for the entire construction sector.

The group meets bi-annually and now includes over 20 public owners and several developers meeting with industry to tackle common challenges.

Visit ownersforum.ca

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EXPLORING COMPLEX ISSUES

Owners Forum tackles topical priorities of sustainability and risk management

By Daniela Cohen

The

Jamey Singh, who represents owners on new high-rise residential and commercial projects in the Edmonton area, attended the first Owners Forum in April 2017. Witnessing the value it has brought to various ownership groups and land developers in the community since then has kept him engaged.

“Hearing from the municipalities and the higher education institutions like the University of Alberta, NAIT, MacEwan University, etc., and the regional cities around Edmonton, like the City of Spruce Grove and City of Calgary, that typically

attend, I just felt that it was gaining a lot of traction,” said Singh.

The group now represents over 25 Alberta public and private construction owners, more than 50 construction services vendors and six partner organizations, including industry professionals from the architect, engineer, and contracting sectors.

According to Chris Wright, managing director of infrastructure with the Edmonton Public School Board and part of the Owners Forum Leadership Team, the forum aims to create a

safe space to explore relevant topics, and foster collective thinking and innovative strategies to address common challenges.

“The participation of all the people that are there is really an important element,” said Wright. “And so, we’re always trying to make sure that everybody has a voice and is able to share or ask questions.”

Bi-annual meetings focus on strategic priorities based on members’ needs and include sharing information and best practices, providing relevant updates, and working on collective action items.

Owners Forum now represents over 25 Alberta public and private construction owners, more than 50 construction services vendors and six partner organizations, including industry professionals from the architect, engineer, and contracting sectors.

The most recent Owners Forum meeting on November 17, 2022 focused on two new strategic priorities: sustainability and risk management.

These are two of the top concerns for owners at the moment, said Jen Hancock, vice-president of collaborative construction with Chandos Construction. She is also a member of the Owners Forum Leadership Team, and vice chair of the Edmonton Construction Association (ECA) Board.

“Everyone’s dealing with it in different ways,” said Hancock. “So, I think the Owners Forum provided that group the ability to connect, network, and discuss what are very complex issues in our industry right now.”

Climate change is having an impact on multiple levels and is increasingly important to address, said Andrew Sharman, vice-president of facilities & operations at the University of Alberta and chair of the Owners Forum since its inception. He noted oil trading prices in Alberta have increased substantially from one dollar to a peak of $100 per barrel over the last two years, with the war in Ukraine also impacting these costs. Both cooling and heating of buildings become more challenging in these conditions, he said, particularly with the older construction frameworks prevalent across North America. The federal carbon tax increase – forecast to reach $170 per tonne by 2030 – will also have a significant financial impact on building owners. The City of Edmonton, for example, owns over 1,000 buildings.

“We need to consider deep energy retrofits,” Sharman said. “Do we need all the space? The design of new facilities needs to take energy modeling more into effect.”

According to Singh, an important part

of sustainability involves being able to both predict and control the total ownership costs of a building.

“Most people often just think about the land and the building cost, but in the lifecycle of a typical building, that only makes up generally about five to 10 per cent of the total ownership

cost of that building,” said Singh. “Most buildings are built for a 50-to-75-year lifecycle. And so, the initial construction costs are a relatively low percentage of that total ownership cost over its lifecycle.”

In Wright’s view, public owners like municipalities and school boards need to consider the multilayered carbon footprint of owning multiple buildings and take a leadership role in designing processes to address these impacts.

“There are millions of square feet of building inventory that public owners would be responsible for in communities. Many folks work for us. A significant number of kids come through in the case of schools; [in] post-secondary, plenty of students come through,” said Wright. “So, we’re shaping not only the physical infrastructure, but … the attitudes and habits of folks that work and learn in our organizations.”

Sharman agreed, adding that it’s a full continuum. Since these buildings touch everybody each and every day, some people might just not be aware of the impact. He says that we need to start ensuring that it’s better communicated and that we can work together as a

community to try and limit the impacts.

The group is exploring possibilities to fund initiatives to reduce the carbon output of buildings, including engagement with the Canada Infrastructure Bank.

The Owners Forum’s second new priority around risk management arose from unprecedented supply chain issues which have presented significant challenges in recent years due to the pandemic, said Hancock.

These kinds of delays have realtime impacts, such as a building not opening on time or opening with limited capability, as was the case recently at the University of Alberta, said Sharman.

Other challenges identified by Singh include rising material and equipment prices, as well as finding and retaining qualified employees as more adjust to a new hybrid working culture. The opportunity for owners to share best practices around addressing these common challenges was useful, Singh said.

In Wright’s view, public owners and industry partners need to have a common understanding of areas of risk

to be able to effectively mitigate these risks in a rapidly evolving context.

Likewise, Sharman said that “it’s more and more important that we are collaborative at the outset, and we all manage the risk where it can be best managed.”

According to Matt Schellenberger, who represents the ECA Leadership Team, the goal is to engage all stakeholders using the A-3 model of process work to develop local solutions. Although this is a work in progress, he said some local owners have already shifted their approach to incorporate the methodologies discussed in the forum, including collaborative contracting, early input from key project stakeholders, and better communication.

Providing a forum for conversations with owners around risk management and sustainability is also beneficial to the ECA.

“We’re all contending with issues right now for how to design and build the best buildings possible,” said Hancock. “We need to know that there’s knowledge and certainty in the industry. That we can all handle this together.” u

According to Jamey Singh, an important part of sustainability involves being able to both predict and control the total ownership costs of a building.

Jen Hancock, vice-president of collaborative construction with Chandos Construction, as well as member of the Owners Forum Leadership Team, and vice chair of the ECA Board.

Andrew Sharman, vice-president of facilities & operations at the University of Alberta and chair of the Owners Forum since its inception.

MOVING THE INDUSTRY FORWARD

Every construction stakeholder benefits from a level playing field, and the Alberta Construction Trade Definitions are moving industry forward by ensuring an up-to-date, complete list of scope inclusions and exclusions for every trade.

Apply the Trade Definitions during Design, Specifying, Bidding, and Tendering – and you can expect a significant decrease in the confusion, errors, RFIs, and common disputes that plague construction projects.

SUNNY DAYS AHEAD

EXPO Centre hosts Canada’s largest rooftop solar array

By Kalina Broda

The solar installation is only one aspect of the Edmonton EXPO Centre’s larger building rehabilitation project.

The EXPO’s sea of solar modules will produce 2.8-gigawatt hours of energy annually.

The future of solar in Edmonton is bright. Dubbed one of the sunniest cities in Canada with over 2,300 hours of annual sunlight and 321 sunny days a year, it’s a fitting spot to post up Canada’s largest solar rooftop array. Of course, a site with a large rooftop surface area, lack of interfering structures, and unobstructed views help too.

This November, the City of Edmonton finished installing 5,754 solar panels— equivalent to 193,736 square feet—on the Edmonton EXPO Centre’s rooftop as part of the first phase of the EXPO Rehabilitation project. These panels will begin generating at least 2.8 gigawatt hours of energy annually, equivalent

to about 375 homes and saving the exhibition venue $290,000 to $460,000 per year in operational costs. The $5 million investment estimates a return between 10 and 17 years, accounting for fluctuations in energy prices and energy consumption, with the panels expected to produce near full capacity for at least 25 years.

While electricity only accounts for 16 per cent of the energy used in Edmonton, it produces around 40 per cent of the greenhouse gas emissions.

Melissa Radu, Explore Edmonton’s director of social and environmental sustainability, explained the Edmonton EXPO Centre’s transition to solar is a big leap forward in reducing emissions.

“With the sheer size of our building, it should be no surprise that the largest percentage of our greenhouse gas footprint comes from the procurement of energy—nearly 65 per cent of our total emissions,” says Radu. “Generating renewable electricity onsite, while also becoming more energy efficient, is one of the best ways to make real progress towards slashing emissions and transitioning to more sustainable energy use.”

Derek Ciezki, an SMP Engineering partner leading the electrical engineering on the rehabilitation project, is excited to deliver upgrades to a cherished space in the city.

“It’s an anchor building in Edmonton that attracts excitement, whether it’s K-Days, car shows, or the exhibition space itself,” says Ciezki. “It’s the signature central location for exhibition space, so it’s exciting to see it being revamped.”

Provided the City of Edmonton can secure extra funding, additional solar panels will be introduced in Phase 2, producing an extra 1.9-gigawatt hours and roughly $185,000 to $300,000 in savings annually. The current budgeted $98 million EXPO rehabilitation project is on track to be completed in early 2025

“Generating renewable electricity onsite, while also becoming more energy efficient, is one of the best ways to make real progress towards slashing emissions and transitioning to more sustainable energy use.”

and includes additional upgrades to the exhibition venue’s building envelope, mechanical, electrical, structural, and code-grade compliance. The City has partnered with the EXPO Epic IPD team consisting of Delnor Construction, ACI Architecture, Arc Studios, AltaPro Electric, SMP Engineering, Engspire, Collins Steel, Cima+, Icon Industrial, and EcoAmmo to complete the full scope of upgrades.

Ciezki praises the team that’s making it all happen. “Being part of a collaborative project that’s being recognized on a national level is truly rewarding— and having support from the City of Edmonton makes it even better.”

BREAKING DOWN SOLAR

While solar spares the environment and reduces long-term costs, what factors make these panels right for retrofitting existing buildings in Edmonton? Trevor Jarvis, the City’s supervisor leading the EXPO’s rehabilitation, and David Debruin, AltaPro’s chief financial officer and system design lead on the project, explain.

Jarvis says the roofing membrane’s age and condition, as well as capacity within the existing electrical infrastructure, are key considerations.

Debruin agreed. “The existing size of the main service is critical to understand when designing solar. The best bang for your buck is to see what you have and design backwards so you don’t trigger any equipment upgrades. It’s always best to add a solar breaker rather than complete service upgrades for what, usually, only results in minor size increases. In the case of EXPO, there was ample roof and electrical space, so we were fortunate to have a project with such a great backbone.”

They pointed out Edmonton’s drastically changing temperatures also play an important role.

Edmonton Construction Association

Roughly one-third of the EXPO’s electricity is expected to come from the renewable energy source, freeing up operational costs.

The Edmonton EXPO’s rooftop is now home to 5,754 solar panels as part of the exhibition venue’s larger rehabilitation project.

Provided the City of Edmonton can secure extra funding, additional solar panels will be introduced in Phase 2, producing an extra 1.9-gigawatt hours and roughly $185,000 to $300,000 in savings annually.

Solar projects aren’t new to the City of Edmonton. Six commercial solar sites are operating, including Queen Elizabeth Pool, the Meadows Fire Station, Jasper Place Fire Hall, Blatchford DESS, Davies Garage, and the Edmonton Convention Centre — with 11 more on the way.

Transformers shouldn’t be overlooked, especially in the summer months. “Most buildings we design, under certain conditions during the summer months, push back so hard that they, at times, flirt with the maximum capacity provided by street transformers,” Debruin says. “Solar packs a punch and it’s critical to see what your infrastructure can handle first.”

The city’s cold and snowy winters are no exception and Jarvis adds that you also need to consider the structure’s snow load value. He says that structures designed before the ‘90s typically don’t have the capacity to accommodate newer snow loads.

While Edmonton’s dropping temperatures and snowy winters may initially seem like a barrier to solar, Debruin says they act as a double-edged sword.

“The colder it is, the better these systems produce,” says Debruin. “And in Edmonton, we get a lot of those cold, clear days. Despite the losses from snowcovered panels, Edmonton still performs very well on the global solar stage.”

BIG BUSINESS BENEFITS

The Edmonton EXPO Centre’s doors remain open during the upgrade period and continue to host over 400 events annually, along with 1.5 million visitors. Beyond solar’s environmental wins, it offers perks for the economy too.

Roughly one-third of the EXPO’s electricity is expected to come from the renewable energy source, freeing up operational costs.

“Anytime we can save money through our operations by having to spend

less money to run this facility, it’s more money we can reinvest into Edmonton’s economy,” shared Radu.

Large international sporting and entertainment events are seeking to book facilities that are demonstrating leadership in sustainability. Radu adds that the new rooftop solar installation means that they will be producing their own renewable, clean solar energy on top of the building, which is an excellent way to attract major events to choose the facility. It also acts as a reminder to event planners and visitors that Edmonton is a leader for innovative energy technologies in Canada and that they’re working hard to support a transition to a lower-carbon economy.

The solar installation is only one aspect of the Edmonton EXPO Centre’s larger building rehabilitation project. Additional mechanical and structural improvements will offer large energy savings by helping the building operate more efficiently, bringing Explore Edmonton closer to its greenhouse gas emission reduction target of 30 per cent by 2035. To keep their targets ambitious, they’ll be reevaluating the goals in 2023.

SOLAR IN THE CITY

Solar projects aren’t new to the City of Edmonton. Six commercial solar sites are operating, including Queen Elizabeth Pool, the Meadows Fire Station, Jasper Place Fire Hall, Blatchford DESS, Davies Garage, and the Edmonton Convention Centre — with 11 more on the way.

Homeowners have also been increasingly looking to retrofit properties with solar panels, with incentive support

from the City of Edmonton and the Canada Greener Homes Grant. The City’s Solar Program peaked in 2022, receiving more applications than in 2019, 2020, and 2021 combined across Edmonton’s new and mature neighbourhoods. The launch of the Canada Greener Homes Grant in May 2021, which offers up to $5,000 in grants for renewable energy systems, may have contributed to the increasing demand for residential solar photovoltaic (PV) systems.

The Edmonton Residential Solar Rebate Program is fully subscribed and is no longer accepting applications. The City of Edmonton will be reviewing its solar program’s outcomes, as well as market conditions and financing tools, to determine the best course of action to support Edmontonians in their home energy transition journey in the future.

PRAIRIES WINNING CANADA’S SOLAR RACE

Even beyond the city, it’s no question that the prairies are primed for solar. Roughly four hours south of Edmonton, Vulcan County is home to the Travers Solar Project, a 3,330-acre solar farm equivalent to 2,518 football fields—and Canada’s future largest solar farm.

In partnership with Greengate Power Corporation and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, the Travers Solar Project will be home to 1.3 million solar modules, generating renewable energy over its 35-year-plus lifetime. The project plans to be fully operational by the end of 2022.

Experts predict the prairies will continue to lead the country in renewable energy development. In a recent Global News interview, Jean-Denis Charlebois, Canada Energy Regulator’s chief economist, indicated renewals may reach 50 per cent of the electricity generation mix by 2050, a big leap forward as Canada seeks to reduce its carbon emissions. u

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For more information, contact your Local Construction Association or visit www.buildworkscanada.com

THE PARKS

Bringing people to Edmonton’s future downtown oasis

By Kalina Broda

Empty parking lots between 106 Street and 108 Street, and Jasper Avenue and 102 Avenue will be the future home of Warehouse Park.

The Parks is bringing a breath of fresh air to the corner of 108 Street and Jasper Avenue, a once-sleepy area with little activity and unturned opportunity.

The future mixed-use residential development is plotted on a site that offers direct access to public transit, educational facilities, government institutions, recreational amenities, and more. But its most resounding feature— and a nod to its name—is the City of Edmonton’s future Warehouse Park, a 1.47-hectare downtown oasis located directly east of the development.

“In our case, it wasn’t about asking what can you do with—it was about asking what can’t you do with the site,” shared Kevin McKee, one of The Parks’ owners and CEO of Pangman

Development Corporation, the project’s development manager. “It has almost every single element that you look for to build the perfect dense, urban, masterplanned community.”

PLANTING THE SEED

Six years ago, a group of local city-builders set out to transform the 60,000-square-foot site into a masterplanned development. John Day, CEO of John Day Developments, and Marc de La Bruyère, principal and managing director of Maclab Development Group, were joined in ownership by Kevin McKee and Maurizio Capano, principal of Probus Project Management, for a project that – they hope – will eventually act as a catalyst for more downtown residential development.

Darrell Halliwell, who later joined the project as lead architect on behalf of DIALOG Design, emphasized the group’s passion for development in the community.

“They’re from the community, they live in the community, and they believe in the community,” Halliwell says. Together, the owners have been behind some of Edmonton’s recent high-profile commercial developments, including Enbridge Centre, Augustana, and The Oliver Residences.

In 2017 when the City announced plans for an urban park the size of roughly two football fields directly adjacent to The Parks, it only solidified the deal. By late 2025, parking lots in the city’s core will be converted into a multi-use green space that will offer a gathering hub for those who live, work, and play downtown. The full scope of amenities and designs are

yet to be determined, but citizens can expect a washroom pavilion, an open lawn, public art, seating, and gathering spaces when it opens.

ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT

The Parks will feature two high-rise residential towers, one 35 storeys (north tower) and one 45 storeys (south tower), connected by a mid-rise link that will serve as a base for a 3,000-squarefoot multi-use rooftop green space. Residential units ranging from studios to three-bedroom suites will be anchored by a two-storey podium that will be the home to an assortment of commercial spaces. While the residential towers plan

to include a portion of affordable housing units, concrete details will be established closer to substantial completion.

Market-leading amenities will be introduced throughout the three phases of the project, including a state-of-the-art fitness centre, an in-house daycare, multipurpose common spaces, underground heated parking, and more. Residents will have access to MacEwan University, Norquest College, Alberta’s legislature grounds, financial district, the ICE District, grocery stores and restaurants, entertainment, and more within minutes of walking or a short transit trip via the Corona LRT Station or Government Centre Bus Transit Station.

ENGAGE EARLY, ENGAGE OFTEN

This past spring, shovels hit the dirt marking the start of the first phase of construction, which will include the first 35-storey residential tower and a 261-stall underground parkade. Phase 1 is on track to be completed in 2024, with the remaining tower and commercial space estimated to take another four to six years.

Recent project milestones include pouring the concrete for the parkade and erecting the beacon-like tower crane,

signifying 108th Street’s rejuvenation.

Ledcor has taken the lead as the project’s general contractor.

“They’ve been working safely and the quality of work that they’re doing on our behalf… it’s just been fantastic,” shared McKee, adding that facing project challenges takes strong, collaborative relationships with all stakeholders. “Without exception, the biggest challenge for the project has been construction costs and supply chain challenges. How can we procure

construction services that are going to be provided two years from now in a rapidly changing environment that none of us have ever lived through?”

According to him, the answer is open, collaborative communication.

“Engage early, engage often, be transparent, be collaborative, and look for holistic project-related solutions that satisfy all your partners,” says McKee, also emphasizing the importance of relationship building with not only the prime consultants and contractors, but the sub-consultant and sub-trade community too, in order to identify risks early and remain nimble enough to address them.

COMMUNITY ENHANCEMENT

Architecture firms DIALOG Design and Hariri Pontarini worked together closely to establish The Parks’ design vision and bring it to life, which is well on its way. According to Halliwell of DIALOG Design, how residents and pedestrians access and interact with the public realm were crucial considerations in the project’s design.

“We asked ourselves, what does The Parks look like? Is it inviting? How do we want people to experience places like the lobby or retail? And, even more

The Parks residents will have direct access to Warehouse Park, Edmonton’s future 1.47-hectare urban park.

Bright retail shops, outdoor seating, and greenery will invite pedestrians to The Parks.

importantly, how do we get people to the City’s new Warehouse Park?” says Halliwell.

A pedestrian-friendly breezeway mid-point in the development will be developed to safely guide residents to enjoy the future park’s offerings.

Halliwell is also inspired by the opportunity for community enhancement. “For me, it’s really the rejuvenation of downtown,” he said referring to the 108th Street promenade. “It’s been a quiet zone for many years. Not a lot of pedestrians other than people travelling back and forth between the LRT station, MacEwan University, and Norquest College. Having this type of residential development along 108th Street is going to help enhance the experience for many people.”

The building design itself is forwardthinking, showcasing two slim, modern high-rise towers with small floor plates and a chambered façade above a partial two-storey podium. The 13-storey “link” between the two towers will expose the communal rooftop green space. The base of the podium will eventually offer bright, inviting retail spaces, outdoor seating areas, and improvements to the street’s public realm.

THE FUTURE IS FLEXIBLE

Although in many ways COVID-19 seems like a thing of the past, lessons learned from times of rapid change and uncertainty still prove true as project planning principles.

“COVID was an opportunity to push pause and ask ourselves questions associated with the flexibility of design— what would be the ability of the project to respond to a situation like COVID?” shared McKee. “You need to ask yourself, at every moment that you can, are we being as flexible as we can with design to be able to respond to unforeseen situations that are absolutely going to occur? And, to be clear, those unforeseen

circumstances are going to occur all the time. COVID just happened to be that on steroids.”

Practically speaking, The Parks’ architects and interior designers applied this framework by assessing early on how easily the building’s walls, furniture, and multi-purpose spaces could be repurposed should they need to adapt.

UNIFYING DOWNTOWN

McKee is hopeful that, together, The Parks and Warehouse Park will start to fill missing gaps and unify the way Edmontonians think about downtown.

“Prior to the City’s downtown park and The Parks project, we really had

a disjointed downtown that had submarkets,” he said referring to areas like the ICE District, financial district and government area. “Together, these projects will take a major step in starting to stitch all the sub-markets together and encourage us to talk about downtown in just one sentence — not the ICE District or government sector or MacEwan area — just downtown and all the great educational, working, living and recreational opportunities that exist in our city’s core.”

To learn more about The Parks development and Warehouse Park, visit livetheparks.com or edmonton.ca/WarehousePark. u

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ECA AS THE HUB OF CONSTRUCTION EXCELLENCE

A strategic goal of the ECA is to broaden our ring of inclusivity, bringing more diversity and engagement to the stakeholder table, and welcoming all members of the industry to take part in the future of construction in Edmonton.

The ECA aspires to serve and enable our community to constantly innovate and improve. Our vision is to see the ECA as a Hub of Construction Excellence in the Edmonton Region.

BUILDING ON SUCCESS

The Oliver Exchange Building gets a new lease on life

By Jenny Turner

Nestled in the heart of the Oliver community, on the corner of 121 Street and 102 Avenue, the Oliver Exchange Building acts as community hub, offering goods and services to the local residents and space for local talent who want to open shop.

Initially designed by Allan Merrick Jeffers in 1913, the building hosted one of Edmonton’s first two telephone exchanges. From day one, it served as a place of connection. Rather than using the staffed pull-and-plug method to connect calls, it featured an automated system that made use of state-of-theart equipment. The exchange helped connect at a time of rapid growth and development in Edmonton. Now, more than 100 years later, the building still stands and still connects, but in a different way.

Back in 2016, Ivan Beljan of Beljan Development recognized the building’s

potential. Beljan purchased the 20,000-square-foot complex in hopes of converting it to a mixed-use building. Adding to the project’s complexity, the two-storey Edwardian-style building was designated a Municipal Heritage Resource in 2017, adding cost to the restoration by limiting demolition.

But demolition was never Beljan’s intent. The company has made a name for itself in restoring heritage developments, and though retrofitting and modernizing a building’s structure can be costly, the Oliver Exchange is evidence that it can be done, and done well.

And why not build on a good thing?

SUBSTATION 200 AND OEX2

Substation No.200 sits right beside the Oliver Exchange building. Beljan Development was clearly confident in the Oliver Exchange’s success because

they bought the substation site off EPCOR shortly after Oliver Exchange had opened.

“Initially, we had a contract with EPCOR to lease the land as a parking lot while they were decommissioning the substation building,” said Ivan Beljan of Beljan Development. “During that process, we told EPCOR that we had an interest in purchasing the site. We saw what was happening at Oliver Exchange and the community’s excitement and wanted to carry that momentum into another chapter—to bring more services, more amenities, and more things that the Oliver community would want to see.”

Like the Oliver Exchange, the substation’s design reflects a past generation, and Beljan hopes to maintain the building’s existing historical elements as its being repurposed. And, like Oliver Exchange, Beljan is seeking ways to

Substation No.200 sits right beside the Oliver Exchange building.

make the building’s initial purpose into its redevelopment. But while the Oliver Exchange was initially a telephone exchange, the substation provided electricity to power the area.

And what better modern analogy for power than food? Working with Keller Construction as the general contractor, Beljan is repurposing the old substation to support a restaurant.

“Keller’s our main point of contact on the site,” said Beljan. “This is our first time working with them. We are excited to develop a partnership with them but it’s a challenging first job. It’s a bit of old and a bit of new, with the Oliver Exchange 2 building in a very dense and active neighbourhood.”

That’s right—Beljan’s developing a brand-new build to the site, too. Oliver Exchange 2, or OEX 2, is being constructed just east of the original Oliver Exchange, adding more retail and commercial opportunities to the area. And while this construction is happening, the original Oliver Exchange continues to be a hub of activity, with businesses still operating and the Foundry Room, the events venue located on the second floor of the building, still available for rent.

“It’s a challenging project,” said Beljan. “Logistics are tight, the neighbourhood is dense, you’re joining an active building with operating tenants and activity all around you. So logistically, it’s a lot to deal with. While it’s not a giant project, there is still lots of things to coordinate and lots of people to keep happy. Both of us went into this to see if we can make the relationship work and the project a success. So far Keller have been excellent partners and have exceeded our expectations.”

Construction on OEX2 and Substation 200 began earlier this year, and Keller recently announced the project has reached 90 per cent completion. Like many projects, OEX2 and Substation 200’s construction was delayed by the pandemic. Regardless, the community

Oliver

east of

original Oliver Exchange,

eagerly awaits its completion and the addition of more shopping, more services, and more points of connection.

To date, the response from the neighbourhood has been positive, with only some concerns around parking being raised. Parking can be a touchy subject even in a neighbourhood like Oliver, which is known for its walkability and bike lanes. The parking that previously serviced the space is being built on, and while additional parking will be reinstated on the periphery of the site, it’s a bit of a pinch point during construction.

But, fundamentally the community supports seeing the old remade new and making sure Edmonton’s history isn’t demolished but reimagined.

And that’s what Beljan is really trying to do in their work and what they hope to continue to do into the future.

“We save buildings—we bring a new chapter to them,” said Beljan. “I think, at the end of the day, we just want to make a positive impact. Sometimes that impact comes from a small project. Sometimes it’s a bigger one. We love to change streets; we love to change communities in a positive way. Maybe it’s taking a site and densifying it, maybe it’s taking something and bringing it back to life— again. At our core, we believe in building main streets and community hubs, and that’s where you’ll see us, no matter how big or small the project is.” u

FOCUSING ON FEMALES

PCL Construction makes Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) a core focus in its business

By Shayna Wiwierski

Not every building is the same, and neither is your staff.

Although the construction industry is still mainly dominated by men, those stats have been changing. BuildForce Canada reported in 2020 that of the nearly 1.1 million tradespeople employed in the construction industry, women made up five per cent. In 2017, BuildForce estimated that women accounted for 12.4 per cent of the construction workforce nationally, including 3.9 per cent on site and 38.5 per cent off site.

In order to diversify their workforce, many companies in the industry have put forth programs to hire more women, as well as minority groups. One of these companies is PCL Construction.

PCL reported in a 2021 Corporate Social Responsibility report that 37.3 per

PCL reported in a 2021 Corporate Social Responsibility report that 37.3 per cent of its students and 27.2 per cent of its current salary workforce were female-identifying.

cent of its students and 27.2 per cent of its current salary workforce were femaleidentifying.

A number of years ago, the company established Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) councils in every PCL sector. Supported by senior company leaders and executives, these councils create strategic plans that align with business objectives, collaborate with other working groups across districts, sectors, and the entire company to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. The councils also serve as a platform for women and all employees to voice their opinions and recommendations for company policies that create a more inclusive environment.

“It all started five years ago with our involvement in Women in Construction

Week, which we are still a major supporter of and participant in,” says Ben Wagemakers, operations manager at PCL. “Along with many STEM-related fields and professions in our industry and organization, we looked into how we could make sure our demographics better matched the diversity of the general population. Our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts were born out of identifying the opportunity to increase women’s involvement in our industry and employment in our organization, particularly in those STEM fields.”

Although the DEI program began by focusing on engaging more women into the organization, now it’s much more involved. PCL also has a successful Women Sponsorship Program, which sees senior PCL employees provide the

BuildForce Canada reported in 2020 that of the nearly 1.1 million tradespeople employed in the construction industry, women made up five per cent. All photos courtesy of PCL Construction.

proper support required to help grow and develop future female leaders. They advocate on their behalf and provide opportunities for development and exposure.

Wagemakers says that the overall vision, effort, and initiative for attracting and retaining more women at the company is centered in multiple strategic focus areas. PCL is driving inclusion across the company, ensuring that all areas of the business are more inclusive, and encouraging different voices and backgrounds that come into decision

making within their operations.

Another area of focus is growing and maintaining a pool of talented and diverse leaders and increasing the diversity in their leadership ranks.

Wagemakers says that the amount of women in leadership positions within the company has increased over the years.

Finally, since PCL is industry-wide, the company looks at how it can integrate DEI into the community and business partnerships in the areas they market themselves in.

“Overall, we know that diverse thought

leads to better decision making. It allows us to test and contrast opinions and approaches, and ultimately that will yield better decision making in our business,” says Wagemakers. “We are identifying areas where we can improve that diversity and finding ways to do so.”

When the DEI initiative was first established, Wagemakers says it was focused on women in construction, including participation in industry events such as construction conferences, and participating in Women in Construction Week. From there, PCL

PCL also has a successful Women Sponsorship Program, which sees senior PCL employees provide the proper support required to help grow and develop future female leaders.

PCL is a member of the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion in Canada.

level for a number of years until PCL established a more formal organization for some of the vision and goals around DEI. This took place in the last five years and is in PCL’s offices across North America. He adds that PCL is a member of the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion in Canada. In its U.S. operations it is part of the U.S. Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, as well as the Talent, Inclusion, Engagement, and Diversity (TIED) Leadership Roundtable and the U.S. Forum on Workplace Inclusion.

On a local level, Wagemakers says that PCL is actively participating in the University of Alberta (U of A) engineering activities as a lot of the PCL staff are grads of U of A, so they like to support their STEM initiatives. He adds that they also work closely with the ECA and supports the various initiatives that the association does for women in construction, including WomenBuild, which seeks to inspire, support, encourage, connect, and celebrate women in the industry.

Although the DEI initiative at PCL initially started as women-focused, it has grown to include employees from all cultures, backgrounds, and beliefs. It is an integral part of the company’s values and has seen PCL create fair and equitable opportunities for all genders and groups.

“I would say more and more, it’s part of our strategic focus, along with the companies we are working with, our clients and our partners,” says Wagemakers. “Whether it’s trades, consultants, or designers, we see similar objectives in other organizations. We aim to be a leading organization when it comes to establishing a diverse and inclusive workplace. By no means are we done, but we are focused on constantly improving.” u

Although the DEI initiative at PCL initially started as women-focused, it has grown to include employees from all cultures, backgrounds, and beliefs.

GETTING AHEAD OF ADVERSITY

How companies are looking at workforce mental health with headversity

By Jenny Turner

Mental health used to be considered a nice-to-have. Over the past decade, views on mental health and mental illness have shifted. Mental health is considered as important as physical health, partially due to its prevalence. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, one-in-five Canadians will experience a mental health problem. While not all those who struggle will mental health will be classified as having a mental illness, approximately 50 per cent of Canadians have or have experienced a mental illness by the age of 40.

As a psychiatrist with Alberta Health

Services, Dr. Ryan Todd witnessed firsthand the ever-growing demand for mental health services.

“When I started practicing as a psychiatrist, I found myself with a sixmonth waitlist of patients,” said Dr.Todd. “I recognized that the demand was far greater than the number of psychiatrists available and thought there had to be a more effective way to support people in their mental health.”

Recognizing the uphill battle he faced as a psychiatrist, Dr. Todd scanned existing market solutions to help those waiting for care, but found them lacking.

So, he did something about it.

In 2019, Dr. Todd, along with a group of founders, started headversity— a mobile platform that provides tools and training to help people build skills to cope with adverse situations even before they arise.

Unlike other services available, headversity focuses on workforce mental health rather than treating an individual in distress. It helps organizations create well-being strategies based on prevention and provides training to help build up individual resilience.

“Resilience helps people deal with stress, and stress is directly correlated with safety incidents on the job,” said Dr. Todd. “We’ve seen results demonstrating

Headversity is a mobile platform that provides tools and training to help people build skills to cope with adverse situations even before they arise.

that over 75 per cent of users with initial struggles report positive changes in their stress levels after just five training sessions on headversity’s SOLO app. The more people train, the more resilient they become and the better equipped they are to handle stress in their professional and personal lives. As a result, this ability to effectively manage stress leads to improved safety on the job.”

The connection between mental health and physical safety is important for members of the construction industry to recognize and explore. And according to Taylor Lewis, events and engagement coordinator with the Edmonton Construction Association (ECA), the industry is up to the task. In fact, the ECA has developed a session to the industry to better understand and incorporate mental wellbeing into their operations.

“This is the first time that the ECA and headversity have joined forces to bring awareness to mental health in the construction industry,” said Lewis. “Fit for Duty: Stress, Safety and Resilience is a session we are hosting aiming to help companies understand how to best navigate the mental health crisis in construction today.”

The construction industry has a long way to go. According to the U.S. Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, the suicide rate for construction workers is 65 per cent higher than workers in other sectors. There are multiple reasons why this may be the case—it’s a maledominant industry and construction jobs tend to be seasonal which can affect job

security. Dr. Todd hopes headversity’s approach to mental health will make a difference in the industry.

“Our approach has also helped break down barriers in a highly stigmatized industry,” said Dr. Todd. “The anonymity and self-directed nature of our product fits the way that hands-on workers do things in life, which is finding the tools to do things themselves. By shifting the focus away from illness, which few people will identify with, and focusing instead on skill building, it’s more accessible to this group, and that has been reflected in our learner engagement.”

And their approach is working. Headversity has seen tremendous growth since its inception in 2019. More than 150 companies from more than 14 industries currently use their services.

In total, headversity has impacted more than one-million lives across 22 countries. In September, headversity was ranked number 47 in the Globe and Mail’s report on Canada’s Fastest Growing Companies.

The pandemic and public health restrictions highlighted the importance of mental health, and headversity’s ability to provide solutions through an online platform rather than face-to-face helped it avoid in-person restrictions. Still, the company has room to grow. According to Dr. Todd, headversity has created a category all its own and it will continue to help meet individual and organizational mental wellness needs.

“We call headversity a PRE.AP. — a preventative assistance platform that helps predict and prevent costly outcomes around safety and performance for the workforce,” said Dr. Todd. “All our focus and energy will be on building the industry’s best PRE.A.P.”

Undoubtedly, the work headversity does will continue to shine a light on the need for mental strategies. Another thing the pandemic taught us as a society is that adversity cannot be avoided, but it can be prepared for. u

“We’ve seen results demonstrating that over 75 per cent of users with initial struggles report positive changes in their stress levels after just five training sessions on headversity’s SOLO app.”

TRADE WINDS TO SUCCESS

Cultural integration and support to overcome barriers are integral throughout the program and into employment

By Lisa Kopochinski

Since 2005, the Trade Winds to Success Training Society has been in a partnership with Union Training Trust Funds and the Indigenous community to increase the number of Indigenous people training and apprenticing in construction trades.

With a vision to build the foundation for Indigenous people to secure employment and achieve journeyman status that leads to economic wellbeing, Trade Winds has had more than 2,300 clients participate in its pre-apprenticeship training in the boilermaker, carpenter, construction craft worker, electrician, industrial mechanic

(millwright), ironworker, plumber, steamfitter-pipefitter, and welder trades.

“Trade Winds to Success offers a wholistic program designed for Indigenous clients wanting to enter the trades,” says Joan Isaac, executive director. “An academic component based on the Essential Skills for Success model ensures clients are prepared for writing and passing the trade entrance exam. This is followed by hands-on learning and practising in a choice of nine trades, and referral to employment in their trade of choice with our employment partners upon graduation. Cultural integration and support to overcome barriers are

integral throughout the program and into employment.”

Helping to address the construction shortage in Alberta, 28 per cent of Trade Winds to Success clients are women, with this number continuing to grow. And more than 40 per cent are under the age of 25.

Its pre-apprenticeship training program is free to participants and has become one of the best screening tools for employers because of the empowerment of participants to be ready, willing, and able to work.

“Participants complete our program with relevant knowledge, training, safety tickets, personal protective equipment, and support,” says Isaac. “Our Residential Construction program in Edmonton attracts the most interest as students are exposed to a variety of trades, including framing, electrical, drywall, and flooring. Our most popular program in Calgary is the ironworker trade because there are many job opportunities for ironworkers.”

SPONSORING PARTNERS

Trade Winds’ partners include Indigenous partners, unions, and private companies.

Indigenous partners are Indigenous Skills and Employment Training Strategy (ISETS) agreement holders who provide governance excellence through the Trade Winds to Success Board of Directors.

“These partners make our program

Before shop training, students take part in foundational skills workshops and academic preparation for their respective apprenticeship entrance exams. Photos courtesy of Trade Winds to Success.

possible by providing referrals to the program, as well as oversight and financial support for clients who are accepted into the Trade Winds program,” explains Isaac.

One of the sponsors is the Oteenow Employment and Training Society. By sponsoring training and building community partnerships, Oteenow helps First Nations and Inuit people tap into the many career possibilities that exist in Edmonton and the surrounding areas.

Community Futures Treaty 7 (CFT7) is another Indigenous partner. In the employment and training realm, CFT7 supports all First Nation individuals to obtain and maintain meaningful employment based on community needs through the provision of training in the Treaty 7 catchment area.

Rupertsland Institute (RLI) is an affiliate of the Métis Nation of Alberta (MNA). RLI’s vision is for a skilled, knowledgeable, and self-reliant Métis Nation and is integral to enhancing the self-sufficiency and well-being of Alberta Métis through quality education, training, and research.

Union partners provide hands-on training for Trade Winds’ commercial and industrial trades programs. Unions also work to develop the Foundations and Academic Preparation aspects of the core program.

Some of Trade Winds’ union partners include:

• Alberta Labourer’s Training Trust Fund

– LiUNA - Local 92

• Boilermakers Training Trust Fund –Local 146

• Carpenters Training Trust Fund – Local 1325 and 2103

• Electricians Training Trust Fund – IBEW 424

• Ironworkers Training Trust Fund – Local 720 and 725

• Millwrights Training Trust Fund – Local 1460

• Plumbers/Pipefitters Training Trust Fund – Local 488 and 496

Trade Winds also engages with many employers from private companies of all sizes who need workers. These companies include:

• AGF Rebar

• ATCO

• Bird Construction

• Canadian Power Pac

• GCS Energy Services Ltd.

• KB Industrial Mechanics

• Harris Rebar

• Octo Mechanical

SOUTH BRANCH

7650-40 Street SE, Calgary, AB T2C 2V4

Tel: 403-273-9511

• Fax: 403-273-8610

NORTH BRANCH

4 Rowland Crescent, St. Albert, AB T8N 4B3

Tel: 780-458-0442 • Fax: 780-458-0447

Email: mike@wwpledmonton.com

Roberta Giroux, journeyperson electrician and employer relations at Trade Winds, instructs Residential Construction Program participants about hands-on electrical skills.

Residential Construction Program participants learning carpentry in the build of an Eco-Smart Home.

• Stanley Construction

• PME/EllisDon

Canadian Power Pac, a renewable energy systems company based in Acheson, Alta., has been an employer partner for a number of years. This wellestablished business remains among the largest institutional and commercial electrical and solar contractors in the province specializing in educational, health care, light-industrial, transit,

recreational, service, and vertical construction facilities.

“Our role is to employ, guide, and mentor new trainees/apprentices to become long-term members of the CPP team, with a hope that all participants end up ticketed in the electrical trade,” says Dave Pearson, Canadian Power Pac senior project manager.

One of Canadian Power Pac’s projects that a Trade Winds graduate worked on was the Alberta Lister Towers, which involved a complete overhaul of the dormitory towers at the University of Alberta campus in Edmonton.

“The scope included a full demolition of the existing electrical system and replacing it with a new and improved one,” explains Pearson. “The completed systems also had integrated solar PV systems uniquely mounted on the towers façade. Trade Winds participants were exposed to an electrical and solar photovoltaic experience during their employment on these projects over the course of the three-and-a-half to fouryear project duration.”

He adds that Canadian Power Pac sees the benefit as not only employment, but the offering of opportunity for the participants that perhaps would otherwise be helpless when having goals of getting into the electrical trade and following them through.

“Trade Winds offers this guidance and ensures that there is a mutually beneficial outcome for not only our company, but the participants as well, through the amount of pre-employment training that the program offers.”

Isaac adds that employers compete for Trade Winds graduates because they are prepared and ready for work.

“As quoted by one of our employment partners, ‘Trade Winds graduates have the basic skills, tools, PPE, safety certification, and the right attitude for work. They are ready from day one’,” says Isaac. u

MERIT CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION IS NOW OPENCIRCLE

The new OpenCircle name and logo symbolizes the spark of innovation, change and evolution – as well as a shift in strategic direction.

the new OpenCircle name and logo –together they symbolize the spark of innovation, change and evolution – as well as a shift in strategic direction.

Merit Contractors Association has undergone a rebrand and heading into the future with a bold new strategic direction and a new name to reflect this.

Welcome to OpenCircle.

For the last 35 years, the not-forprofit has been enormously successful in providing training, programs, and costeffective benefits plans to their 1,700 member companies and their employees and families.

“There’s been a change taking place globally during the last several years in how people view work and life; in particular, the employer-employee relationship,” explained OpenCircle’s chief commercial officer, Brian Lacey.

“The employer-employee relationship has come into the spotlight as never before and with a greater emphasis on how businesses conduct themselves in the areas of the environment, social responsibility, and governance. The current economic climate poses challenges for all – businesses and families alike. Our well-tooled benefit program, coupled with the growth and development opportunities we provide, are supporting our workforce in immeasurable ways. Our forwardthinking board of directors have developed proactive strategies to meet the needs of the market.”

The refocused strategy comes with

“It’s all about better work and better living,” said Lacey. “With easy-to-use products, we want to help our members’ businesses thrive and build competitive strength, while at the same time support the development of healthy, productive employees and their families.”

OpenCircle is moving beyond the scope of job-specific technical skills training to offering learning opportunities that focus on the personal attributes required for success, such as critical thinking, problem solving, conflict resolution, communication, and teamwork.

OpenCircle’s two cornerstone programs – the Supervisor Training Program and Leadership Development

Merit Contractors Association recently rebranded to become OpenCircle.

Program – are being updated to include skills to build inclusive and diverse workplaces. Additionally, the organization is seeking partnership opportunities with community, industry, and educators to provide mentorship programs, human resource consultation, business planning and operations training, to name a few. Tools to assist employees in mapping out their future career pathways are being developed, as well as new learning delivery formats to suit all types of adult learners.

Mental health and well-being came to the forefront during the pandemic and remain a priority for OpenCircle. Mental health programming and resources are being expanded, helping members, employees, and their families manage their mental and emotional wellness as they navigate through and balance all aspects of their lives, at work and at home.

“At the core, OpenCircle is still the same company that members have come to trust with the products and services we provide,” said Lacey. “We recognize that the world is changing –and at a pace that’s gaining momentum – and that we needed to change with it. The team at OpenCircle is looking to the future with excitement. Our motivating driver is and always will be, exceptional service to our membership.”

To learn more about OpenCircle, visit opencircle.ca. u

OpenCircle’s two cornerstone programs – the Supervisor Training Program and Leadership Development Program – are being updated to include skills to build inclusive and diverse workplaces.

remain a priority for OpenCircle.

BUILDING ON EXPERIENCE

Custom Electric Ltd. powers a changing world

By Deb Draper

Located in Calgary, Custom Electric provides electrical contracting services to commercial, residential, service, and industrial clients mainly within Central and Western Canada. Seen here is the 9th Avenue Parkade project in Calgary.

More than 50 years ago, with a truck, some tools, and much determination, two journeymen electricians took a risk and started their own electrical services business in Calgary. Today, still privately and employee-owned, Custom Electric Ltd. has gained extensive experience from hundreds of projects and earned a reputation for getting the job done right, on time, and within budget.

“We have about 350 employees at the moment,” said Jeff Barefoot, P.Eng., MBA, corporate development manager,

Service is at the roots of the success of Custom Electric with on-call, full-time service technicians providing 24/7/365 emergency services across all business sectors. Seen here is the Mackimmie Tower project at the University of Calgary.

Custom Electric Ltd. “These days there’s an employee crunch for sure, but we pay towards the top tier, support a number of trade programs, and yearly hire upwards of 100 apprentices. And thanks to information programs at high schools, we’re now seeing more women entering the trade.”

Located in Calgary, Custom Electric provides electrical contracting services to commercial, residential, service, and industrial clients mainly within Central and Western Canada, although many

“ These days there’s an employee crunch for sure, but we pay towards the top tier, support a number of trade programs, and yearly hire upwards of 100 apprentices.

projects have been completed across the country.

Custom’s commercial services cover conference and event centres, education facilities, health and medical facilities, airports… basically everything except power transmission projects. The company works hard to build meaningful and lasting relationships with customers, partnering with them to design, budget, and build whatever they require. Recently, when a temporary power infrastructure was needed at the airsupported dome being built over Encana Field’s artificial turf at Shouldice Athletic Park in Calgary, Custom Electric’s team met the challenge, quickly designing and installing the system to keep the project on schedule.

Recently, they finished work in the

huge Amazon robotic fulfillment centre that will soon open outside Edmonton in Parkland County. With a footprint of 600,000 square feet and five storeys, this will be the first robotics facility in Alberta and the largest in Western Canada.

Custom Electric also specializes in the design, equipment procurement, installation, and service of EVCs (electrical vehicle chargers) and has been involved in the technology for a number of years.

MAKING IT HAPPEN

During the project design phase, Custom Electric’s design-build team collaboratively integrates with the owner’s design professionals, implementing decades of experience to improve constructability, reduce time and costs, and help achieve a successful project. This experience also enables the company to be comfortable taking GMP (guaranteed maximum price) projects to successful delivery.

Service is at the roots of the success of Custom Electric with on-call, full-time service technicians providing 24/7/365 emergency services across all business sectors.

Almost 10 years ago, Custom Electric adopted BIM (Building Information Modelling) and VDC (Virtual Design & Construction) to provide clients with full 3D modeling and 3D modeling-tofabrication services. In addition, they specialize in virtual spatial layouts using Trimble’s Robotic Total Station (RTS) and prefabrication. The teams are located in the 15,000-square-foot fabrication facility in NE Calgary where systems and assemblies are pre-built, disassembled, shipped to the job site, and reassembled.

Barefoot sees the further development of these capabilities as an important direction in both local and Canada-wide future projects.

“We’re working to include

prefabricated assemblies and components in as many projects as possible,” said Barefoot. “Not only can we then improve and control quality for the customer, but also deliverability, which is an ongoing issue these days.”

He adds that the biggest change or trend they’re seeing in the industry is a lot more sustainability being included in building designs. This means more complicated building control systems to manage and minimize the energy used,

more conduits, wires, and connections, which can be very challenging in renovations.

It all comes down to experience, innovation, project excellence, and teamwork. Committing to a proactive approach of partnership – with clients and with every employee – Custom Electric has grown from a small twoman electrical business to a hugely successful and integral part of the Canadian construction industry. u

NEW TO THE GAME

District Mechanical Inc. makes a name for itself in Edmonton after one year in business

By Shayna Wiwierski

District Mechanical, as well as its sister companies, were founded around the basis of employee ownership.

A

mechanical contracting company in Edmonton is already making a name for themselves after a year in business.

District Mechanical Inc. is a commercial mechanical contractor in the Alberta market. Established in August 2021, the company is the plumbing and piping arm of the G8 Group of Companies, which was also established in the summer of 2021, and includes Specialty Air and Curber Manufacturing.

District Mechanical specializes in mechanical contracting, commercial mechanical contracting, light industrial, and more. They are an innovative contractor that brings a focus on design constructability and off-site fabrication to their clients. Through the use of BIM/

CAD, as well as their design knowledge, they can integrate into projects early in the design phase and streamline system designs, while bringing down costs in the process.

What makes District Mechanical, as well as its sister companies, truly unique is the fact that they were founded around the basis of employee ownership.

“We felt that there was room in the Edmonton market for a good strong mechanical contractor that had a core team of employees that were also owners,” says Bob Smith, president of District Mechanical Inc. and CEO of G8 Group of Companies. “We find that employees with skin in the game tend to be a little bit stronger and the vision

was for us to have an employee-owned company that we can grow and build and have a legacy with. There are other employee-owned companies in the market but what makes us truly unique is that we extend employee ownership to everyone in the company, including our tradesmen in the shop and in the field.”

The Edmonton-based company, which has around 60 employees, is currently working on a number of projects around Alberta. These include the University of Alberta Health Science’s library renovation project, the Canadian Western Bank Place lobby renovation, Jasper Park Lodge site upgrades, the new RCMP building in Valleyview, boiler work at Salisbury Composite High School in

A differentiator for District Mechanical, as well as the other G8 Group of Companies, is the quality of work and the level of collaboration they bring to the table. Seen here is the Specialty Air crew.

Sherwood Park, building humidification upgrades at NAIT, and more.

As a relatively new company, Smith says that they did have some challenges in finding work with the larger general contractors, however, he says that since the calendar turned to 2022, the market has been really receptive to the new company and that the care and dedication that has shown from their employee ownership base was something that has led to repeat business.

Smith, who has been in the construction industry for the past 17 years, says that the Edmonton market is very competitive and the one thing that is a differentiator for District Mechanical, as well as the other G8 Group of Companies, is the quality of work and the level of collaboration they bring to the table.

“Typically, there are a lot of companies out there who start the change order process before they even show up on site. While change orders are a necessary evil within the industry, we like to focus on getting in front of the job from the beginning. We work with the owners to push the schedule,” says Smith. “Given our team’s design experience, we do a lot of collaboration with the general contractors, which I do believe that was something we never really saw in the past 20 years. I think the market is becoming more collaborative because of necessity. You aren’t going to be in business long if you are just going to run in there, do your job, and not try to help out the team as a whole. You have to be a part of the bigger picture.”

Aside from collaborating on the jobsite, District Mechanical is also enjoying collaborating with ECA members. Smith says that he has always been a part of the ECA in one way or another in the past and has always found value from membership. He says that the training specifically is something that they have gotten value from, especially YBG, where they have sent some new employees to

make sure they are networking and not getting lost behind a laptop on a job site.

Although they are only one year into business, Smith says that he wants District Mechanical to be considered the go-to mechanical contractor for Edmonton.

“In my past I have had some experience getting there with some other companies. The core group is

very experienced and there’s a great reputation among the team, so the idea is we want to build a legacy here with our next generation of leaders leading the company as we expand,” says Smith. “Edmonton has a lot to offer a strong contractor, and we’ll be taking full advantage of that as we grow to be a trusted trade partner in our mechanical market.” u

W i n t e r M a t e r i a l s N o w o n S a l e

I n c l u d i n g :

N e w f o r t h e 2 0 2 2 s e a s o n T h i s p r o d u c t c o m b i n e s o u r w n t e r - b e a t i n g s a n d i n g c h i p s w i t h s a l t f o r t h e b e s t t r a c t i o n p o s s i b l e

N o t h i n g b e a t s t h e o r i g n a l F r o m o u r o f f i c e s t o y o u r p a r k i n g l o t , t h e r e i s n o p r o d u c t w e r e l y o n m o r e t o k e e p u s o n o u r f e e t t h r o u g h t h e w i n t e r C o l d - M i x

S a n d i n g C h i p s

T h e w i n t e r s e a s o n i s s u r e t o w r e a k h a v o c o n r o a d w a y s a n d d r i v e w a y s D I Y y o u r w i n t e r r e p a i r s t h i s s e a s o n w i t h o u r c o l d m i x a s p h a l t H a v e s o f t o r m u d d y s p o t s y o u n e e d t o a d d s o m e s t a b i i t y t o ? O u r r e c y c l e d c o n c r e t e o r a s p h a l t s a f a n t a s t c a n d e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y s o u n d s o l u t i o n

" P i c k l e d " S a n d i n g C h i p s

A s p h a l t R e c y c l e d C o n c r e t e o r A s p h a l t C r u s h

STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE

Pagnotta Inc. celebrates 30 years in business

By Shayna Wiwierski

Pagnotta Inc. is a family-owned, integrated construction company specializing in concrete construction, construction management, and equipment services. The company was founded by Mario Pagnotta, who came to Canada from rural Italy in 1967 and started working as a site labourer. Mario worked on concrete high-rises,

first as a labourer, then as a foreman, superintendent, and finally as a business owner. With his experience, knowledge, and relationships in the high-rise market, he then went on to found Pagnotta Inc. in 1992 as a self-performing general contractor.

The company’s big break came in 1995 when Mario had the opportunity to help with the construction of the Greenwood Inn in Edmonton. During this project, the company also purchased its first tower

crane.

“The company grew rapidly in the early years. Mario was great at sourcing work and gaining the trust of clients,” says Alex Pagnotta, CEO of Pagnotta Inc. “Within five years in business, Pagnotta was up to 200 workers.”

Pagnotta Inc. was started as a selfperforming general contractor, however, Mario developed his skills at a time when it was more common for general contractors to self-perform the concrete

An Edmonton-based construction company has turned 30 years old this year.

Pagnotta are completing the Windsor Terrace and Holyrood Apartments as the construction manager, concrete formwork, and equipment provider.

Alex Pagnotta, CEO of Pagnotta Inc.

In 2008, Pagnotta was awarded their largest concrete project ever, the EPCOR Tower.

They have been a title sponsor of the CASA Gala for the last four years. CASA provides much-needed services for adolescent mental health. Approximately 4,000 children and adolescents receive help and services through the CASA program each year.

formwork and purchase and operate their own tower cranes. Alex mentions that in the early years, Pagnotta began to receive more phone calls to complete concrete formwork projects than construction management work. While maintaining their construction management clients, they increasingly serviced a strong demand in the concrete formwork market. As a result, the decision was made to implement a brand update and create three distinct divisions: Pagnotta Construction, Pagnotta Concrete, and Pagnotta Equipment in order to excel in all areas.

The company is now located throughout Western Canada and operates out of offices in Edmonton, Vancouver, and Saskatoon, which also manages the work done in Manitoba.

“Pagnotta is a fully integrated highrise specialist. We are narrowly focused on the mid- and high-rise market,”

says Alex. “With our construction management, concrete formwork, and equipment services, we can offer support to any mid- or high-rise project. From full construction management, forming and pouring concrete, to renting a hoist or outrigger, we have a service to offer.”

The company has completed a multitude of notable projects in the Edmonton area. In 2008, Pagnotta was awarded their largest concrete project ever, the EPCOR Tower, which brought the company to a new level of professionalism in its processes, its culture, and its commitment to safety. Most recently they have worked on the Station Lands project in downtown Edmonton, where they are providing concrete formwork and equipment services for Ledcor. They are also completing Windsor Terrace and Holyrood Apartments as

the construction manager, concrete formwork, and equipment provider.

The company is also proud to give back to the communities in which it works. They have been a title sponsor of the CASA Gala for the last four years. CASA provides much-needed services for adolescent mental health. Approximately 4,000 children and adolescents receive help and services through the CASA program each year. Pagnotta has also done work with Boyle Street Community Services, which serves, supports, and empowers people to take control of their lives and escape the cycle of poverty and homelessness in Edmonton. In addition to other collaborative efforts, in 2018 Pagnotta Inc. donated resources for a new wheelchair ramp and sidewalk at Boyle Street.

Celebrating three decades in business is a huge feat for any company, and just the start to many more years in business for Pagnotta.

“Our future will be guided by the desire to always be better,” says Alex. “We want to be the best cast-in-place builder in Western Canada and we want to continue to deliver the best service.” u

SML is proud to have been a leading mechanical contractor, on numerous projects, throughout Alberta and Western Canada over the past 75 years. We continue today to provide quality workmanship with integrity on many esteemed projects.

YBG IS THE FUTURE

A healthy and connected YBG means a healthy, connected future for construction in Alberta. Formed in 2014, the YBG has become the gathering place for emerging leaders in every construction sector not only contractors and trades, but designers, engineers, owners, and other stakeholders.

If you’re an ambitious, creative leader in the first half of your construction career, the YBG is for you!

Visit edmca.com/ybg/ YOUNG BUILDERS GROUP

YP Merge aims to encourage collaboration among Young Professional groups from the construction-design-consultantowner communities in the Edmonton region.  It grew out of the SHIFT Conference, which the Edmonton Construction Association’s YBG Group initiated in 2015, and was solidified in 2018.

Oh, and if your group isn’t connected yet, reach out and let’s change that – matt.schellenberger@edmca.com.  Help us grow and focus on supporting common networking, education and advocacy goals.

ypmerge.ca

LOOKING TO THE PAST BRINGS VISION FOR THE FUTURE

Supreme Steel builds upon its roots

By Deb Draper

On November 19, 2022, one of North America’s leading steel solution providers, Supreme Steel, celebrated half a century of hard work, determination, and commitment to the construction industry. Fifty years ago, starting out

with a single welding truck and a big dream, John and Sally Leder launched a modest Western Canadian steel erector business.

“Over the years, the company grew tremendously as it began building some

of North America’s most recognizable structures, while remaining true to its original purpose –building with steel,” said David Fritz, president and COO at Supreme Steel. “And today we are a leading steel solution provider with construction facilities in Vancouver, B.C.; Acheson, Alberta; and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.”

Supreme Steel offers complex structural, bridge and SpeedCore steel fabrication solutions. Fritz explained that typically their scope of work is fabrication and erection of structural

Supreme Steel has constructed major transportation, commercial, and industrial projects mostly in Central and Western Canada, as well as Northwestern USA. Seen here is the Walterdale Bridge in Edmonton.

The Supreme Steel headquarters in Acheson, Alta.

steel, and at times they get called on for expertise and to contribute on design. He adds that oftentimes the design is provided by the engineer of record, and they do more of the steel-specific design on the connections-constructability engineering.

“We found that when we are involved early in the project we can help optimize the steel design for schedule and cost savings,” said Fritz. “When we need to create detailed drawings in order to use our state-of-the-art machinery in the shop, our detailers create shop drawings that our fabricators can work from and our equipment can read and understand.”

From early days, the Leders made investments in computer software, emphasizing innovation that would keep the company on the leading edge of building technologies, and that hasn’t changed. All operations are supported by key management service software such as Procore construction management, the latest version of Tekla structures, industry-leading scheduling software, and a suite of in-house designed and developed software that supports the fabrication processes.

Two regional steel fabrication shops combine graded assembly and storage space, ideal for trial assembly of complex steel frames and constructing steel-only modules and galleries. Fritz noted that the shop in Acheson is one of the largest in the region for structural steel with 106,000 square feet of production space, 55 acres of facility land with a capacity of 500 tonnes/week of standard steel throughput. In Saskatoon, the second structural steel fabrication shop has 60,000 square feet of production space, 20 acres of facility land, and 250 tonnes/ week of throughput.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Steel Bridge Division in Edmonton holds 33,000 square feet of production space on four acres with the capacity of three girders per week of basic throughput, each typically weighing in at 40 tonnes.

“Our partnerships in Edmonton and the area are extremely important to

us, specifically through the Edmonton Construction Association,” said Fritz. “We really appreciate all the support we received over the past 50 years and have great respect for our employees who are building such great things. We’re all very proud of our work, seeing the changes to the landscape. All these structures are still going to be standing when we’re gone, and that’s a pretty cool legacy to leave.”

The company has constructed major transportation, commercial, and industrial projects mostly in Central and Western Canada, as well as Northwestern USA.

One of these projects is The Leaf at Canada’s Diversity Gardens in Winnipeg, Man., which will be opened to the public later this year. The project is an example of an extremely complex steel project that they completed and it features a unique diagrid tower that rises up through the centre of the building.

Supreme Steel supplied more than 1,300 tonnes of steel, fabricated using 3D Tekla modelling software to create shop and erection drawings. The 3D data was also used to survey and dimension the pieces in the fabrication shop. And when

it came to welding it all together in the middle of a bitterly cold Winnipeg winter, Supreme’s skilled tradespeople found a way to pre-heat the nodes used in field welding, and got the job done.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

As part of its family-first mentality, where every staff member and partner are treated with respect and care, Supreme is dedicated to ensuring the safest work environment possible. That means standardizing its approach to safety on all levels, reducing injuries and preventing reoccurrence while still increasing profitability and productivity. Currently the company has approximately 350 employees and remains a family- and employee-owned private company with founder John Leder still serving at the helm as CEO.

“Our ownership has been an incredible contributor to the communities in which we work. John and Sally have demonstrated a belief that we owe a debt of service to the communities in which we work and live,” said Fritz. “We’ve kept the company true to its core values that have brought us this far – a genuine care for our partners, our people, our work.” u

The Supreme Steel shop in Acheson is one of the largest in the region for structural steel with 106,000 square feet of production space, 55 acres of facility land with a capacity of 500 tonnes/ week of standard steel throughput.

WATER IoT: A GAME-CHANGING WATER

MONITORING TECHNOLOGY FOR HIGHRISE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

In the insurance world, it’s often said that water is the new fire. And the new normal for annual catastrophic losses related to water damage is around $2 billion, according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC).

But the problem is even more acute in high-rise construction projects, where it can be hard to pinpoint a leak, or when a leak occurs at night or on the weekend when the site is unoccupied. That means a small leak can turn into millions of

dollars in damage during a project.

Severe water damage causes several challenges for construction companies. Related project delays can translate into increased costs in labour and materials and can also drive up financing costs from lenders to finish the project, heavily impacting developers’ bottom lines. The reality is that water damage during the construction stage of a building is one of the largest risks to completing a project on time and on budget.

“Water damage is a very common occurrence these days with high-rise construction, in both residential and commercial occupancies. Each loss is unique but the common denominator is water and gravity — a destructive combination,” says Jonathan Graham, underwriting director of construction & contracting with Northbridge Insurance, a leading Canadian commercial insurance provider. “We look at the frequency and severity of water losses,

and in the last five years both have been trending in the wrong direction.”

The impact on losses and project delays is why both the insurance and construction industries have begun seeking out risk mitigation strategies, such as water leak and flood protection technology. This technology – widely being retrofitted for years into existing buildings and structures — also has applications during the construction phase of a building.

Recently, Northbridge worked with two developers and their brokers to roll out water IoT (Internet of Things) technology during the construction phase of two high-rise projects. The goal was to test the technology’s effectiveness in mitigating and reducing

water damage. To better support the construction industry, Northbridge has since partnered with a leading water IoT solutions provider to offer discounts to customers on construction water leak and flood protection.

Here’s how the technology works: Temperature, humidity, moisture, and water detection sensors are strategically placed around a building and communicate via a Long Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN) since construction projects are unlikely to have Internet availability.

The sensors are connected in realtime to a dashboard and mobile app, providing 24/7 monitoring. If water is detected where it shouldn’t be, or water supply exceeds a predetermined

The impact on losses and project delays is why both the insurance and construction industries have begun seeking out risk mitigation strategies, such as water leak and flood protection technology.

parameter, alerts are sent to key contacts and water valves are shut off automatically or remotely through the app.

The technology is sophisticated enough to sense moisture levels and to differentiate between normal and excess water flow for a duration of time. And while it may not prevent a leak from happening, it can catch a leak in real time to mitigate damage.

On a project in partnership with Northbridge, Jones DesLauriers Insurance Management Inc. (JDIMI), a professional services firm specializing in corporate risk management and employee benefits solutions, worked with Tribute Communities, a builder of high-rise and low-rise communities.

Together, they tested a water IoT solution in a high-rise construction project which was of particular interest to Tribute, as they’d had to make four water-related claims on a state-of-theart commercial space about a decade ago. As a result of the damage, they had to rebuild the space three times over the life of that project.

“Those four leak claims cost us close to a year and a half,” says Gus Stavropoulos, chief financial officer with Tribute Communities. “We learned a lot in that building and we learned there has got to be a better way to do this.”

When they rolled out water IoT sensors during the recent construction project, they didn’t have any significant water claims and credit the risk mitigation benefits of the technology for that outcome.

“We had one case where we got ahead of it,” he says. “There was a report of a pressure leak, and our staff quickly got the alert and dealt with it and it was done. It was a loose valve, but that could have turned into a quarter-of-a-milliondollars in damage—and a couple turns of a wrench saved us a lot of problems.”

He believes water IoT technology will revolutionize loss exposure on high-rise construction projects — and that the industry as a whole needs to be at the forefront.

“I wish this technology was available 10 years ago when we had a $3.5 million water damage loss,” says Michael Kucharuk, partner and account executive with JDIMI. “Overall, I’m glad to hear Northbridge is proactively addressing water damage in construction projects through technology and connecting with GCs and brokers on the issue.”

While there are hundreds of insurance providers registered in Canada, only a handful specialize in course of construction projects.

“There are definitely fewer insurers

now than prior to 2020. Of those still available, they may not be comfortable covering 100 per cent of the risk, and so multiple insurers are needed to cover a portion of the risk to reduce their exposure in the event of a loss. This means that more negotiations are required due to the nature of having multiple insurers participate — especially on large multi-tower projects,” says Cathy Ciccolini, partner at Masters Insurance Limited, which also partnered with Northbridge on a water IoT pilot project.

She believes water IoT technology will be useful to the construction industry in the future — it may even become a requirement, like sprinklers or smoke detectors. Future projects will be marketed with ‘no water damage claims’ from past projects, allowing new insurers to offer potentially more capacity, as well as better rates and deductibles.

“I strongly recommend developers adopt this type of protection. Most of them have had a water damage claim — some small, some larger,” says Ciccolini. “I impress upon them that water damage claims will affect the next project I have to place for them.”

Kucharuk shares that while it is still very much in its infancy in this part of the world, genuine interest from both developers and insurers is prevalent and gaining momentum.

“Not that long ago, developers heard about IoT technology as a new ‘thing’ that may come to fruition one day. This clearly isn’t the case anymore — forward-thinking developers are familiar with how to use the technology to their benefit,” says Kucharuk.

Indeed, he says it’s a natural, pragmatic progression to help reduce both frequency and severity of claims, which is key for insurers and vital to developers — as it will greatly aid in keeping their construction timelines on

track and reducing water damage costs.

“There’s a lot of opportunity to reduce the likelihood, but also the size of a water leak, so we can prevent or mitigate the risk by using this technology. It’s about identifying where the issues are and also being able to act remotely,” says Christopher Mastro, director of risk services with Northbridge Insurance.

Developers also have the ability to pass on the cost of water IoT technology to the building owner once the project has wrapped up. And building owners can benefit from the technology postconstruction, as it can help mitigate potential ongoing risks and insurance costs.

“It’s probably more cost-effective to put it in during construction because you can protect the site and ensure owners occupy the building on time. If your building is 98 per cent done and a hose comes off a toilet on the 12th floor, you could set your whole project back by months,” says Mastro. “But for building owners, it offers ongoing risk management.”

While the technology can’t necessarily prevent the frequency of water-related events, it can have a dramatic impact on severity — providing timely insights to reduce the severity of loss — which is a win-win-win for construction companies, insurers, and ultimately building owners.

Northbridge Insurance, Northbridge, and the Northbridge Insurance Logo are trademarks of Northbridge Financial Corporation, licensed by Northbridge General Insurance Corporation (insurer of Northbridge Insurance policies).

This resource is provided for information only and is not a substitute for professional advice. We make no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy or completeness of the information and will not be responsible for any loss arising out of reliance on the information u

STANDARD CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS & GUIDES

Use CCDC, CCA and ACA Contracts and Guides on your projects to inform your work, build trust, simplify bidding & contracting and fairly allocate risk.

All contracts and guides are produced in consultation with national and provincial organizations representing the owner, architecture, specification, engineering and contracting industries.

Learn more at edmca.com

INDEX TO ADVERTISERS

A&H Steel Ltd. 49

A. Clark Roofing & Siding 81

Action Electrical Ltd. 19

Alberta One-Call Corporation 33

Alberta Painting Contractors Association 39

Alberta Screw Piles Ltd. 11

Alberta Wilbert Sales Ltd. 53

All Type Electric 77

An-Mar Concrete Pumping Co. Ltd. 14

Aplin Martin Consultants Ltd. 101

Arcom Technical Services Ltd. IFC

Arthur J. Gallagher Canada Limited 26

ASAP Solutions Inc. 4

Associated Engineering Alberta Ltd. 61

Barricades and Signs 25

Beam Craft Inc. 7

Behrends Group 63

Belvan Construction 75

BFL Canada Insurance Services Inc. 27

Bird Construction 77

Blacktop Paving Inc. 35

Bolson Engineering and Environmental Services 89

Brock White 32

Brownlee LLP 13

Burnco Rock Products 77

Can Traffic Services Ltd. 75

Canadian Construction Association 20 & 21

Canadian Dewatering 79

Canadian Fence Ltd. 63

Canadian Wood Council 29

Canem Systems 119

Capitall Exterior Solutions 103

Carmacks Enterprises 51

Challenger Geomatics Ltd. 35

Christensen & McLean Roofing Co. 95

Clark Builders 57

Collins Steel 104

Con-Spec Industries Ltd. 83

Cooper Equipment Rentals 103

CP Distributors Ltd. 105

Custom Electric IFC 1, IBC

Cutting Edge Landscaping 81

Delnor Construction Ltd. 81

Donalco Western Inc. 103

Economical Insurance 50

Edmonton Construction Association OBC

Edmonton Kubota Ltd. 85

Electrical Contractors of Alberta 14

EllisDon Construction Services Inc. 15

Equipment Sales & Service Limited 91

ESC Automation 67

Ewel 131

Eye Safe 83 Field Law LLP 67

Finning Canada 65

Fluor Canada Ltd. 41 Formations Inc. 87

Frontier Construction Products Ltd. 63

Goldbar Contractors Ltd. 57

Grant Metal Products Ltd. 95 Gravisys Inc. 69

HUB International 43

Icon Industrial Contractors 68

Integrity Waste Solutions 71

Inter-Co Division 10 Inc. 72

IVIS Construction Inc. 17

JAPA Group of Companies 45

JK Environmental Services 47

Kehoe Equipment Ltd. 73

Keller Foundations 69

KOR Contracting 89

Koralta Construction 28

Leduc Overhead Door 75

Lenbeth Group of Companies 89

Lloyd Sadd Insurance Brokers Ltd. 31

LMS Reinforcing Steel Group 95

Loadrite 87

Maple Reinders Constructors Ltd.. 5

McLennan Ross 115

Midwest Caissons 74

Modern Cladding Finishes Ltd. 97

Moso Bamboo Canada West 99

NAIT 6

NB Benny’s Contracting Ltd. 115

Nelson Lumber Co. Ltd. 98

NFP 23

Nilex Civil Environmental Group 66

Northbridge Financial Corporation 35

NovoCrete Stabilization Solutions 108

Ogilvie LLP 131

Paandon Construction Ltd. 117

Pagnotta Inc. 123

Pals Geomatics Corp. 107 Park Paving Ltd. 121

PCL Construction Management Inc. 3

Petrocom Construction Ltd. 109

PM Signs Corporation 9

Protint Inc. 108

Provincial Refrigeration Ltd. 115

Qualimet Inc. 28

Rapid Concrete Ltd. 111

RDE Group 114

Robert B. Somerville Co. Limited 99

Rocky Mountain Equipment 101

Rotaflow Controls Inc. 109

Sam’s Craft Iron Ltd. 80

SCORE Manuals 32

Shelby Engineering Ltd. 131

Siemens Canada Limited 37

Soletanche Bachy Canada 48

St. Albert Parking Lot Maintenance Ltd. 19

Standard General Edmonton 55

Strathcona Mechanical Limited 124

Sunco Communication & Installation 60

Super Save Group 121

Superior Trenching Ltd. 49

T&T Sand & Gravel Ltd. 37

Tetra Tech EBA Inc. 59

Towneplace Suites By Marriot 51

Trisura 37

Vantage Builders Ltd. 61

Wallworks Acoustic Architectural Products 49

WD Industrial Group 53

Wescor Food Equipment 114

West Edmonton Mall 39

Western Weather Protector Ltd .113

Witten LLP 25